


Otherworld

by FM_White



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Big Brother Uchiha Itachi, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Gen, Haruno Sakura-centric, Hokage Uchiha Itachi, POV Haruno Sakura, POV Uchiha Itachi, Redemption, Slow Burn, Strong Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Itachi Being a Good Brother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-01-27 01:22:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21383764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FM_White/pseuds/FM_White
Summary: In another world, as an organization shrouded in mystery threatens to imbalance the peace that has reigned over his village, Sixth Hokage Uchiha Itachi contemplates the meaning of life and death, while Haruno Sakura learns that the world is colored in more shades than black and white.Eventual romance. ItaSaku/KakaSaku.
Relationships: Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Uchiha Obito, Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Itachi, Haruno Sakura & Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 160
Kudos: 291





	1. Prelude

* * *

**PRELUDE**

* * *

“Lord Fourth, what is a life?” Uchiha Itachi asked.  
  
The taller blond man turned and inspected Itachi. The Fourth squatted in front of him, blue eyes friendly and wide as he considered Itachi and his question.  
  
“I have been wondering… What is a life? What is a death? What does it mean to be alive?”  
  
Minato blinked once, slowly, before breaking out into a small laugh. “Those are questions not easily answered, Itachi-kun. What do you think a life is?” He leaned his arms on his knees, head cocked as he waited patiently for Itachi’s answer.  
  
Five year old Itachi pondered over the question.  
  
Behind the Fourth, a group of veteran shinobi had lined up perfectly, swords strapped to their backs, perfectly sharpened and gleaming as the early morning light hit the blades. They carefully listened as Minato’s advisor lined out the mission. It would be the first formal mission they accepted after the war had ended. Itachi’s father was among these men.  
  
“It’s the existence of an individual.”  
  
Minato’s smile increased. “That is a correct definition. Somehow I doubt that’s what you had in mind when you asked me the question.” Though a statement, Itachi could hear the question in the older man’s voice.  
  
“Lord Fourth?” Minato’s advisor called.  
  
“Wait here,” Minato said to him. The Fourth Hokage stood and walked to the line of shinobi. Closest to him was a young man with silver hair—Hatake Kakashi. He stared at Minato with intense focus through his one visible eye. The other eye, which held a Sharingan, was covered by his forehead protector. Kakashi evidently noticed him watching as he turned his one good eye to him, observing him silently. Slowly, Itachi nodded his head in greeting—when he looked back up, Kakashi had turned his gaze elsewhere.  
  
Itachi waited as he watched Minato walk up to all shinobi to deliver a short speech and to wish them good luck. The group broke up into squads and made their way out the gates one by one, fanning out in all directions. Minato stood still and spoke to his advisor for a moment longer, before turning around to smile at Itachi. “Let’s take a walk, Itachi-kun,” Minato spoke as he reached him.  
  
They walked in comfortable silence. Minato had pocketed his hands and though he said nothing, Itachi could feel the Fourth’s questioning gaze on him from time to time.  
  
“I heard your mother gave birth to your little brother a week ago,” Minato finally said, picking a place near the waterside. He strode down the hill, evidently expecting Itachi to follow, which he did. “What is his name?”  
  
“It is Sasuke,” Itachi said, watching the glimmer of sunlight reflected on the calm waters of the lake. “After Sarutobi Sasuke.”  
  
“That’s a good name,” Minato said, picking up a pebble. He toyed with it between his long, nimble fingers as he looked over the river. With a smile, Minato gazed down at him. “Is that why you wondered about life and death?”  
  
“Yes,” Itachi answered.  
  
“Hmm,” Minato said, cocking his arm back and tossing the pebble over the water. It skidded over the water’s surface, creating ripples in the calm waters. “Forgive the cliché,” Minato began, flashing a smile, “but a life is much like that pebble. It begins, goes on to touch innumerable lives in both conscious and unconscious decisions and actions, before it ends again.” Minato bent over to grab two more pebbles.  
  
“If this is you,” Minato said, holding up a large pebble, before holding up a smaller stone, “and this is your brother, Sasuke…” He tossed the bigger pebble first, followed shortly by the other stone. Itachi watched over the water as the stone representing him went on to skid over the surface multiple times, creating smaller and larger ripples, while Sasuke’s pebble followed his. “Sometimes you influence the decisions your younger brother will take in life, other times it might be the other way around… But you and your brother are an important piece of each other’s lives, even though Sasuke might not be aware of that just yet.” Minato laughed softly before taking a knee, facing Itachi at eye height. “Does that make sense?”  
  
Still watching the waters as they returned back to their calm states, Itachi bobbed his head up and down.  
  
“As for a death… Your father told me he brought you to the front lines near Kannabi as the war ended… and that you were forced to defend yourself against a shinobi.”  
  
Itachi closed his eyes at the memory. All he had wanted was to help the man and give him some water. Instead, the man had turned on him and nearly killed him for wearing a different village’s colors. Reopening his eyes, Itachi looked down to his hands, surprised to find them clean. They looked small next to Minato’s large hands.  
  
“See it like this… A person only dies when the ripples they have left upon the world have faded completely. The man you defended yourself against… I imagine he is the one who inspired the question regarding death?” Minato asked.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Nodding knowingly, Minato laid a hand on Itachi’s shoulder. “Why?”  
  
“I… I don’t ever want to see that again. Shinobi fighting senseless wars, people mourning at the graves of children who died so young,” Itachi frowned, small fists clenching. Raising his gaze to Minato, he was surprised to find the Fourth staring back at him with a genuine emotion Itachi could not identify flickering behind his stormy blue eyes.  
  
“As long as you carry that wish with you, you’ll carry the memory of that man with you,” Minato said, pointing at his heart. “It might not be the best memory and as unfortunate as it is, as a shinobi I’m sure many more unpleasant memories will come your way. It is what you do with those lessons that count.”  
  
“I understand,” Itachi said quietly, plucking a stray bug from his hair.  
  
Minato sat still for a moment longer, grinning at him. “I’ll let you in on a secret, Itachi-kun,” he said, leaning closer as he cupped a hand around his mouth. “Kushina is pregnant. We’re expecting a boy. I hope he’ll grow up to be just as wise and kind as you.”

* * *

**TWENTY-THREE YEARS LATER**

* * *

Uchiha Itachi, head of the Uchiha Clan and Sixth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf village, quietly stood in his office and stared at the stone carved face of Namikaze Minato. The hour was so early it might as well still have been yesterday. Only an hour ago, the darkness over Hokage Mountain was absolute. Now, the outlines of the mountain and the faces carved upon it were becoming clearer and clearer with each passing moment as dawn arrived.  
  
Sensing a familiar presence nearing the administration building, Itachi hung up his hat and took a seat at his desk. In front of him lay numerous scrolls detailing missions and the suggested ranks and shinobi teams picked for them. The corners of his mouth turned upward momentarily. Izumi always liked to do his work for him, if only to lighten his burden for a little while.  
  
He rifled through them, picking the S-Class missions up first to see what they entailed and which teams had been suggested for them. Itachi made adjustments as he went along, though a part of him was distracted by the chakra source that was slowly climbing the stairs outside. That man always did like to build suspense.  
  
His personal ANBU squad arrived—they did not reveal themselves to him but Itachi could swear he felt Genma’s disapproving gaze upon his back. The older jounin never did like it when he snuck out of his house before dawn to get to work early. Sleep had not come easily to Itachi this night.**  
**  
Finally, a knock came on the door.  
  
“Enter,” he called out, laying aside the mission scroll he had been working on. The door opened, revealing a tall man with long black hair and a pale complexion. Orochimaru’s mouth twitched into a smirk as his golden eyes ran up and down Itachi’s form.  
  
“Sixth,” he said in greeting.  
  
“Report,” Itachi said, leaning back in his chair.  
  
Orochimaru made an amused sound as he closed the door behind him, long fingers dancing over the wood of the frame. He looked over his shoulder at the Sixth Hokage and stepped closer. “It is as we thought,” Orochimaru spoke. “They’re recruiting members from various countries.”  
  
“Hm,” Itachi said, lacing his fingers together. “Who do they have?”  
  
“Some interesting types, I believe. My spies are looking into it, but Akatsuki’s range is far and wide. Considering they were a revolutionary group led by three orphans only a few years ago, it’s quite… _unbelievable_ how much they have achieved during this time.”  
  
Itachi frowned slightly, not missing the implication in the older ninja’s voice. The twinge of unease that had festered within him for weeks now resurfaced with a vengeance. Turning his eye to the window, Itachi watched as a crow flew over the building, landing on his likeness carved on the mountain side. His mouth twitched at the irony.  
  
“Continue,” Itachi said, purposefully ignoring Orochimaru. The legendary shinobi loved theatrical reveals—Itachi would not give him the pleasure of indulging him in his flair for storytelling today. Orochimaru’s gaze burned on him for a long moment until Itachi finally heard him sigh in defeat. Itachi turned back to him as he heard the faint rustle of paper. Orochimaru pulled his clothes aside, grabbing an envelope that he carried close to his heart.  
  
Golden eyes flashed with amusement as he placed the manila envelope on Itachi’s desk, slowly sliding it toward his Hokage. “This file contains several names. Who of these people are Akatsuki, I cannot say for sure. They are all linked to the group in one way or another,” Orochimaru explained, watching carefully as Itachi undid the string and opened the sleeve. Pulling up the stack of paper, Itachi’s eyes roved over the picture enclosed before lifting his dark gaze to Orochimaru.  
  
Orochimaru chuckled. “I was as surprised as you were.”  
  
“He’s dead,” Itachi said calmly.  
  
“Ostensibly.”  
  
Itachi remained silent for a long time as he considered the information.  
  
“In thirteen days, one of Akatsuki’s members will meet with one of my spies near the Valley of the End to exchange information about one of Akatsuki’s platoons,” Orochimaru continued, brushing a strand of hair from his eyes. “Send one of your best squads to the rendezvous point. The location is outlined there.” He pointed at the envelope and turned to leave.  
  
“Dismissed,” Itachi said, watching carefully as Orochimaru smirked ironically. The older shinobi had been passed over twice as Hokage—first when Namikaze Minato had been selected and again when Itachi had been recommended after Tsunade’s reign had come to an end. Orochimaru had finally settled for living a life outside of the village, using his various sources to gain information and keep the village safe. It didn’t stop him from feeling resentment toward Itachi for holding the position he had coveted for decades.  
  
“Hokage-sama,” Orochimaru said mockingly and stepped outside.  
  
As the door closed behind him, Itachi turned his attention back to the envelope and the information it contained. He pulled out the files Orochimaru had left, studying the pictures and the personal notes enclosed as well as the location of the meeting. Lifting up a hand as he finished reading the last page, an ANBU member wearing a monkey mask appeared before him, taking a knee. “Hokage-sama,” Sarutobi Daisen said.  
  
“Take these files and check the information against an updated Bingo Book and the information we’ve gathered on other villages,” Itachi said, while collecting the files and neatly placed them back in the envelope, holding it out to Daisen. “The information is S-Classified. Report back to me immediately when finishing.”  
  
“Understood, Hokage-sama,” Daisen spoke, disappearing in a flurry of leaves.  
  
The day passed in the blink of an eye. The morning was spent handing missions to new genin, the academy classes having just graduated a week prior. Iruka sat beside him, explaining mission details from fetching lost cats to helping a civilian child dissect a frog for a biology class. The elder man seemed weary but upbeat as he called in the next group while Itachi handled all of the C- and B**-**ranked missions, briefing Konoha’s finest chuunin for the assignments.  
  
As the last of the chuunin trailed away, clutching their B-ranked mission, Itachi folded his hands together and stretched his legs as he listened in on Iruka’s briefing. It seemed this was the last of his D-rank missions to hand out – a woman needed help collecting a rare flower from a mountain side for her dried-flower collection. Iruka smiled benevolently at the happy genin as they walked out with their jounin teacher – one of the Aburame, Itachi remembered – and sighed heavily as the door closed behind them, pinching his brow.  
  
“Are you alright, Iruka-sensei?” Itachi asked, rounding the desk.  
  
“O-Of course Hokage-sama!” Iruka stuttered, as though he had forgotten himself. Blushing heavily, the older shinobi stood and bowed deeply. “I thoroughly enjoy this task and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve you in this way, Hokage-sama.”  
  
“Please,” Itachi said, holding up his hands as he flashed a brief smile at Iruka. “I meant nothing by it.”  
  
Iruka rubbed the back of his neck. “I just never thought a mission that asked for a cat to be caught needed so many questions answered. Or a cheese fetching mission for that matter. I forgot how… enthusiastic our young genin can be.”  
  
Itachi chuckled at that, signaling for Iruka to follow as he stepped out of the office building. The older shinobi fell into step beside him. “They’re making their first strides into the world of shinobi. From now on, most of their future, unless they choose another path later, will depend on the success of their missions. As we implemented a graduation age of sixteen rather than twelve, a lot of new genin are eager to begin this life.”  
  
“Why did you choose for a later graduation date, if I may ask, Hokage-sama?” Iruka asked, pocketing his hands. “Most genin do D-rank missions for the first few years until they develop the skills necessary to become chuunin.”  
  
“During the war times, most genin were promoted at a younger age and subjected to horrors beyond their comprehension,” Itachi simply said, nodding in greeting as they passed a group of jounin. Sarutobi Asuma stood in the middle of the circle, grinning as he lit another cigarette. “These practices continued past wartimes. Even you were promoted to genin at age 11 and made chuunin at age sixteen.”  
  
“That is correct, Hokage-sama,” Iruka replied.  
  
Itachi stepped outside, slowly making his way down the staircase that spiraled the administration building as his eyes were drawn to the academy grounds. A small gaggle of children sat in the playground, listening intently as one of the teachers pointed to Hokage Mountain, undoubtedly speaking of the many accomplishments of his predecessors. “I’d rather sixteen year olds learn how to use their stealth to catch a cat or use their cunning to tame a wild boar than for them to be subjected to the full range of the shinobi life.”  
  
Iruka smiled gently. “That is a noble wish.”  
  
Itachi said nothing as they reached the bottom of the stairs. One of the children at the academy had spotted him. They stood to their feet and waved enthusiastically at him. He lifted an arm, Hokage coat fluttering in the wind behind him, and waved. The simple gesture evoked a choir of awed sounds and one or two children challenging him for his seat. As the teacher scolded the two, Itachi realized that the more time seemed to pass, the more everything stayed the same.  
  
“Where would you like to have lunch today, Hokage-sama?”  
  
“Do you have a recommendation?”  
  
Iruka seemed to blush. “Well, there’s a simple ramen stand nearby. I eat there now and then. Their ramen is fantastic… But if you’re in the mood for something else, I’d be happy to accompany you.”  
  
“Where is the stand?” Itachi asked, ruffling the head of a young boy that came up to greet him.  
  
“Just around the corner here,” Iruka said, leading the way until they reached a small stand. Itachi had walked past it on numerous occasions, but had never been inside. He followed Iruka as he held the noren curtain open for him and took a place beside him.  
  
“Ah, Iruka-sensei,” a kind-looking elderly man said, leaning over the counter with a smile. “Always good to see you… And I see you’ve brought the Hokage! Welcome, Lord Sixth!”  
  
“Thank you,” Itachi said, eyeing the menu.  
  
“The miso chashu ramen is the best here,” Iruka whispered to him. “Don’t bother asking for anything else. It’s Teuchi’s specialty and he loves it when new customers try it for the first time.”  
  
“I see,” Itachi replied softly. To Teuchi, he said: “One normal size miso chashu ramen please.”  
  
“Excellent choice, Hokage-sama,” Teuchi bellowed with a large smile. “Ayame,” he called to someone in the back. “Two miso chashu ramen!”  
  
Belatedly realizing Iruka had yet to order, Itachi glanced from the corner of his eye to Iruka, who was flashing a wry grin. “I’m somewhat of a regular here.”  
  
“I wouldn’t have guessed.”  
  
Iruka chuckled softly and looked around the stand fondly. “I always… had this fantasy that if my parents hadn’t died during the Nine Tails attack, I might have had a younger sibling. I would have loved to take them to places like these, listen to their day and offer them brotherly advice.” He eyed Itachi. “I envy your bond with your brother from time to time. You seem quite close.”  
  
At the mention of Sasuke, Itachi couldn’t help but smile. His younger brother had been promoted to jounin a few years ago and picked up shifts at the police force in addition to his regular missions. Sometimes it felt like just days ago that he held a hand on his mother’s belly to feel the occasional kick. Even then, he had deeply loved his younger brother.  
  
“We are… though Sasuke had some struggles in our younger years.”  
  
Iruka nodded knowingly. “I remember his time at the academy well. Heartthrob of the class, always staying behind to perfect his shurikenjutsu and striving to become stronger and better. It must be hard being the younger brother to another excellent shinobi.”  
  
Teuchi barreled out of the back, holding two steaming bowls of ramen in his hands. Itachi gratefully accepted his and grabbed his chopsticks, breaking them with ease as he inspected the bowl. The broth smelled delicious and the pork seemed to be cooked perfectly. “Let’s eat,” Itachi said, picking up his first piece of meat.  
  
After a very fulfilling lunch, Iruka said his goodbyes at the entrance of the academy, leaving Itachi to climb the stairs by himself. Inside, he found Sarutobi Daisen waiting for him. Daisen gave a quick bow and followed him as Itachi made his way back to his office.  
  
“For as far as we can see, the information regarding Deidara from Rock and Kakuzu from Waterfall seems accurate, though neither Waterfall nor our other sources can confirm with any certainty,” Daisen spoke, closing the door behind him while Itachi took a seat. “As for the other names, most of them are in our Bingo Books or can be cross-referenced to other files.” He rifled through the files, selecting one of them. A picture was enclosed of a silver haired man with byzantine eyes. “Hidan from Hot Water for instance, is not listed in the Bingo Books, despite being a high-leveled shinobi. He _is _however, listed as a major criminal that employs… occult ways of killing his victims.”  
  
“And for the ones from Konoha?”  
  
“Conjecture,” Daisen said, though his voice seemed to waver. “I have a hard time believing anyone from Konoha would join this organization… But the names given here… These are all people presumed dead.”  
  
“Get me the files on all of the people mentioned in this report,” Itachi said, lifting up the page about Hidan. “Conjecture or not, I would like to be prepared just in case.”  
  
Daisen nodded and made to leave.  
  
“Oh and Daisen.”  
  
“Yes, Hokage-sama?”  
  
“Ask for Team Seven to be brought here.”  
  
“Of course.”

* * *

Twenty-three minutes and sixteen seconds after his summons, a knock came at the door. Recognizing the four chakra sources behind the door, Itachi called out for them to enter. He watched as his younger brother stepped inside first, dressed in the standard jounin uniform. Pink-haired medical specialist Haruno Sakura followed. After her, with tousled hair and smelling like dog as always, Inuzuka Kiba stepped in, his large white dog Akamaru following suit. Finally, their teacher stepped inside.  
  
Itachi watched carefully as Obito closed the door behind him and turned to Itachi. His scarred face was mostly covered by his forehead protector, but Itachi could easily spot the horrific scarring on his jaw and neckline. An outcast of the Uchiha clan, Obito had disappeared shortly after the mission of Kannabi Bridge, only to be found stumbling into the gates a year later, his broken body healed. He had returned a hero.  
  
“Hokage-sama,” Obito said in greeting, the rest of Team Seven chiming in.  
  
“Team Seven. I have an A-rank mission for you,” Itachi began, pushing a tiny scroll toward Obito, who reached to take it. “In thirteen days from now, a meeting will take place near the Valley of the End. Your mission is to go there, spy on the meeting and report back to me. Do not engage the enemy. It is vital we stay off the radar for as long as possible.”  
  
“What is this regarding, Hokage-sama?” Obito asked, dark eye dancing over him.  
  
“A renegade group named Akatsuki. We believe one of their spies will be meeting with a spy placed by Orochimaru,” Itachi spoke, eyeing his younger brother. Sasuke looked back and forth between his eyes, soaking in all the information given while Sakura beside him raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Akatsuki?” Kiba asked while scratching Akamaru behind his ear. “That name sounds familiar.”  
  
“They have been offering their services as mercenaries for some years now, though it seems they’ve tired of mercenary work and they’re working on more nefarious plans. Rain has been reporting a lot of activity but stopped relaying information quite recently.”  
  
Obito frowned as he rolled open the scroll and quickly read through the information. Carefully watching his fellow clansman, Itachi immediately noticed when he reached the vital piece of information, the scroll slipping just a little bit from his fingertips. Obito looked at him, sole eye wide. “This is?”  
  
“The information which Orochimaru had provided us with.”  
  
“This can’t be,” Obito said, taking a step closer.  
  
“What is it, Obito-sensei?” Sakura asked, looking confused.  
  
Obito clutched the scroll tighter into his hands, looking almost angrily at Itachi, as though he was the source of all his ire. Cold fire burned behind his eye as he dropped his gaze one last time to the scroll. “It says the Akatsuki member Orochimaru’s spy is to meet… is Hatake Kakashi.”  
  


* * *

Ten flickering projections came to life in the dark shadows of a cave in the far north.  
  
“Well, well, all of us together again,” one of the shadows spoke. “We haven’t done this in years… Not since _he_ left the organization.”  
  
“Hmm he’s still around… lurking… spying,” a bi-colored shade said in a gentle voice, before a gravelly one took over: “Even now he lingers nearby like a bug, ready to be squashed.”  
  
A taller shadow stepped closer into the ring, round eyes focused on a man nearby. He flashed a grin, sharp teeth gleaming in the dark. “I’m sure someone will find it in them to cut up the little toad,” he drawled. Across from him, a shadow lifted his head, mismatched eyes dragging slowly over the large shadow before another drew his attention.  
  
“Don’t be hasty hmm,” a man with a single blue eye said, mirth in his voice. “One day he’ll be killed, yeah. But more importantly, we only have three years. Will everyone be able to hit their targets, hmm?”  
  
“That’s right,” a cold, smooth voice sounded. Nine shadows looked up to meet their leader, his projection standing on a ledge nearby. Eyes turned from them, Leader folded his arms over each other: “Focus on our goal… Once we gather them all, the world will be in our hands.”

* * *

_**A/N:** Hello and welcome to Otherworld! I quite literally dreamt up this plot a couple of weeks ago and seeing as I was quite satisfied with planning it out and my plotbunnies decided to go rampant, I decided to post it! _

_Please note that while there's no romance completely planned out, I always do love a good romantic element, though for once I can't say whether it will be ItaSaku or if we go KakaSaku for this one time. I'll let the characters themselves decide that along the way._


	2. Chapter 1

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

Rain fell from the sky.

Sakura listened to the pitter-patter of the summer shower. There was a quiet anxiety to the rain, as if between the tumbling cloud and the earth it is fearful never to reach its destination. The sound of it alone caused her to look down at her teammates.

Twilight had long passed, the deep night having swallowed all but the four forms huddled around the fire. They were safe beneath the boughs of the ancient oak tree she was keeping watch in, sheltered from the rain as they grilled their freshly caught fish and cleaned the mushrooms Sasuke had foraged earlier.

Sakura enjoyed having the first shift. There was a solitude to the other shifts absent during the first. The quiet chatting of her teammates as they prepared their meal filled the otherwise silent night with camaraderie and warmth.

"Sakura," Obito called out to her. She glanced down to find her captain looking at her. Obito was a tall man who would have been handsome in his own right had life not been so harsh for him. He peered at her with his one good eye, the empty socket covered by his worn forehead protector. Obito had been assigned to Team 7 over a decade ago; though he was kind and gentle, he was also practical and a man that obeyed the rules with ruthless efficiency. Sakura didn't mind; ruthlessness was a particularly good trait for any shinobi to have in a pinch.

Sakura nodded at him, scrambling out of her comfortable perch in the tree. She dusted some dirt from her uniform and hopped from the branch, using her chakra to land gently into the soft moss. She crouched down beside Akamaru, giving him a quick scratch over the head and made her way to the fire. "Thank you," Sakura said as Sasuke handed her a thin stick with skewered mushrooms and other vegetables.

"We're nearing the Valley of the End," Obito said, taking a seat on a fallen tree branch on the other side of the fire. Kiba re-emerged from the darkness, stepping into the circle of warm dancing light. He deposited some dry wood near the pit, said hello to Akamaru and sat down beside her, grabbing another skewer with food.

Kiba took a bite from his food, uncharacteristically silent for once as he appeared to mull over things. Finally, he seemed to have worked up to courage to spit out whatever was bothering him, dark eyes flitting briefly to hers before settling on Obito's. "Captain, can you tell us about Hatake Kakashi?"

An unnerving silence settled over the camp, the only sound heard the crackling of the fire. Obito stared at Kiba, his lips in a straight line. The light cast by the flame danced over his face, bringing light to even the deepest creases and folds of his scar tissue while simultaneously causing his inky dark eye to contrast as starkly from the light as a black hole.

Sasuke sat down on the other side of her, eyes focused on the fish he was expertly grilling, though she could easily spot the signs of his interest. Finally, Obito dropped his gaze and sighed heavily. "What do you want to know?"

The three of them moved closer to the fire, as though pulled toward Obito by an invisible wire at exactly the same time. From the corner of her eye, Sakura saw that even Akamaru had lifted his mighty head. "Well…" Kiba hesitated, looking at both her and Sasuke. He bared a fanged grin. "What is important to know?"

Obito observed Kiba for a long moment. "How much do you know about the First Shinobi World War?"

"It was… eh, big?" Kiba said, a blush touching the top of his cheeks. He coughed in embarrassment and averted his eyes as Obito's look turned to one of disappointment, causing Sakura to giggle. Beside her, she easily heard Sasuke whisper '_idiot_' beneath his breath.

"The First Shinobi World War started during the First's lifetime. Konoha had been founded for several years and became a shining beacon for other countries. While the First had managed to bring warring clans together in harmony to collectively build Konoha, many other states were still in turmoil during this period. The situation was exacerbated when the Nine Tails attacked our fledgling village, causing the First to subdue the great fox with his Wood release jutsu and seal it into his wife for safe-keeping with the help of Uzushio's famous sealing jutsu," Sakura recited easily, picking at the mushroom on her skewer. Beside her, Kiba had crossed his arms and nodded.

"Correct Sakura," Obito said, taking a bite from his grilled fish. He signaled for her to continue.

"The possession of the Nine Tails and the immense power that came with having a Jinchuuriki in the village caused friction amongst other countries, which lead to the First traveling across the lands and capturing all Tailed Beasts, sealing them into Jinchuuriki around the world to re-distribute power and bring peace back to the lands. The First World War ended with an armistice treaty that lasted twenty years."

"He should have kept them for Konoha," Kiba shrugged and tore a piece of fish from the skewer with his canines.

"Which would defeat the entire purpose," Sakura argued. "The First's aim wasn't to found the strongest village, it was to create peace."

"I see at least someone paid attention in the academy," Obito said. "So, how did the Second Shinobi World War begin?"

Sakura delved into her memories. The story of Konoha's beginnings had always fascinated her but there was very re-markedly little in the historical books regarding the Second War. "I believe it started with genocide."

"Uzushiogakure," Sasuke spoke up at least, midnight eyes cast to the fire. "My mother told me the Second Shinobi War started with the annihilation of Uzushiogakure. As retaliation for aiding the First, the small village was ambushed by shinobi from Rain and their leader, Hanzou of the Salamander. Rain was one of the village's that missed out on a Tailed Beasts and became the battlegrounds of the First World War."

"Very good, Sasuke," Obito said. He stole a glance at Kiba. "Is this jogging your memory, Kiba?"

"I must have been out training during these classes, Obito-sensei," Kiba said reluctantly, scratching his neck.

"In any case, Mikoto-san was correct, Sasuke," Obito continued. "Rain had suffered heavy losses during the First War and the land had become ravaged and impoverished. This continued until Hanzou of the Salamander took control of the city. Vowing to avenge his country, he began with the annihilation of Uzushiogakure, which had been Konoha's staunchest ally for many years. The survivors fled to Konoha, prompting the Second to declare war on Rain. That was how the war between the Leaf and Rain started."

"Economic disparities between nations and countries using military force to expand their borders forcefully being how the rest of the countries—namely Sand and Rock—got involved?" Sakura questioned.

"Correct."

"So what does this have to do with Hatake Kakashi?" Kiba asked, eyebrow raised.

Obito shrugged. "It's important to know the circumstances in which my generation was born. Kakashi is as old as I am, molded by the times and corrupted by them."

The three of them fell silent.

"During this second war, the three shinobi known as the Legendary Sannin rose to fame, but there was one more shinobi. He became known as Konoha's White Fang—a man that easily rivaled the Legendary Three in strength and notoriety. When I grew up as a little boy, the White Fang was all we talked about." Obito smiled wistfully, as if the dusty memory was something he took out late at night to relish its innocence before putting it back. "One day, the White Fang made a decision that saved his team but lost us an important battle which possibly extended the war by yet another year. He was taken off duty immediately, shamed by villagers and by the village leadership. Finally, he committed suicide."

Kiba swore quietly under his breath while Sasuke scoffed quietly. Sakura remained quiet, watching all the inflections and emotions that stormed beyond Obito's dark eye.

"The White Fang, his name was Hatake Sakumo," Obito revealed finally, looking up at the three of them. "He was Hatake Kakashi's father."

"Shit," Kiba said, echoing her personal feelings perfectly.

Obito thoughtfully chewed on another mushroom for a long moment, the tense silence between them stretching. "I met Kakashi just before we started academy. He was brilliant, a genius beyond anything ever seen in Konoha. He graduated from the academy in his first year, was made chuunin the year after at age six and became jounin before most of us graduated. Kakashi was—is calculating, highly intelligent and a skilled tactician. He ruthlessly follows orders and rules, a byproduct of Sakumo's shame, or so the Fourth once told me. As such, he bypasses his own moral code, rather trusting on others' sense of duty and honor."

"What is his skill set like?" Sasuke asked, finishing the last of his fish.

"Primary element is Lightning," Obito said, before scoffing with a humorless smile as he touched his empty eye socket. "But I suppose he will have mastered all elements by now." He paused, eye darkening. "There was a move he was working on last I saw him—he called it 'Raikiri'. A highly lethal Lightning based attack. You'll hear it before you see it." Obito continued to recall all he remembered about his former teammate, from taijutsu mannerisms to ninjutsu skill set. Finally, he looked at Sakura. "That's enough for tonight."

She nodded, finishing the last of her food. Sakura pulled herself to her feet, downed some water and walked to the tree she had been using as an outpost, molding chakra to her feet to calmly climb it until she reached the highest branches.

* * *

In Sakura's opinion, the Valley of the End was an impressive, but gloomy sight. From a distance it had looked like a silent white stream cascading over the rocky outcrops. As they had drawn closer, the noise had grown until they couldn't hear over the deafening roar of water. Obito signed to them with hands and fingers, bringing them close enough so she could see the sculpted figures of the First Hokage and his adversary.

"This is impossible," Kiba shouted as they reached the base of the waterfall. "We won't be able to hear them from here." Akamaru barked once in agreement, tongue waggling as he looked back and forth, cautiously scenting out the area.

"We don't need to," Sasuke replied, tapping just beneath his eyes. Sakura nodded. The Sharingan could relay everything to both Sasuke and Obito without them having to be close enough to hear. The most important thing for them now was to locate the exact place where the meeting would take place.

"The meeting will take place on the statue," Obito said, holding a hand over his eye as he peered at the sun-kissed statues.

"Which one?" Kiba shouted.

"We'll split up. Sakura and I will find a vantage point to oversee the First' statue. Sasuke, you and Kiba monitor the Madara statue. Have Akamaru sniff out the perimeter and send him over when he's scented Kakashi. That will give us a heads-up," Obito instructed, voice loud enough to be heard over the water. "The meeting will happen in an hour from now. Find a place that covers you enough and will provide a strategic advantage in case things go south. Whatever you do, do not engage the enemy."

"Understood," Sasuke and Kiba said, rushing to the other side of the valley alongside Akamaru.

Obito took her up the waterfall and onto Hashirama's statue, quietly observing which places would be ideal for observation. She scanned the perimeter alongside him, pointing at a small patch of dirt that was obscured by the shrubbery and foliage. She placed a hand on Obito's arm and pointed at the place. He nodded, leaping off the statue and making his way to the spot, followed closely by Sakura.

"Obito-sensei," Sakura whispered when they settled in, eyes drifting over his form. He was quiet, but his eye pivoted to hers in attention. "Are you okay?"

He seemed taken by surprise. "Why do you ask?"

"You've been preoccupied ever since the Sixth gave us the mission," Sakura said carefully. Though Obito had been her teacher and captain for well over a decade, there was a certain flammable part of him that the three of them tried to avoid at all costs. Previous talks regarding his mysterious past, his genin team and the Fourth had all soured before Sakura had pinpointed exactly what they had said. The more she learned of Hatake Kakashi, however, the more Sakura puzzled the pieces together.

Obito flashed a kind, but humorless smile. "You remind me of her," he said, though Sakura got the distinct impression he wasn't talking to her.

"Who?" she dared to ask gently.

"Rin," Obito said, and it sounded like a prayer.

The silence hung in the air like the suspended moment just before a falling glass shatters on the floor. Sakura swore she could already hear the ringing of shards, but the look that crossed Obito's face captivated her. Often she had heard that grief was a prison, but never before had she seen someone weighed down so by the remains of memories and nostalgia. The moment passed in less than a second.

Time started back up again, the roaring sound of the waterfall coming back to her as though someone had turned the volume back up again. Afraid to ask him who Rin was, Sakura sat in silence, hugging her knees as she vigilantly kept her eye on the meeting grounds and looked for any sign of Sasuke, Kiba and Akamaru.

"Rin was my other team member," Obito said, so quietly she nearly missed it. "She was a medic, like you and she liked to worry over me."

Sakura smiled at him. "I can't help it. Medic's prerogative."

"The three of you remind me of my team," Obito said, scratching an itch on his knee. "You resemble Rin, obviously. Kiba is brash and an idiot; so was I. Though I was perpetually late…" Obito said, causing her to chuckle softly. She had never seen Obito being late in eleven years. He was usually the first to arrive and the last to depart.

"So… Sasuke reminds you of Kakashi?" Sakura probed carefully.

He shot her a dark look. "Yes. Arrogant, pig-headed geniuses who usually were the source of many a girl's heartthrob." Obito gave her a meaningful look, causing her to avert her eyes. He didn't have to remind her of her childish dreams of one day marrying Uchiha Sasuke and bearing his children. Obito had asked them about their aspirations on the day he met and rolled his eye so hard at her Sakura had been afraid he would fall from the fence he perched on.

"Dreams change and little girls grow," Sakura chided.

"We haven't talked since you became jounin," Obito said, his eye trimmed on the statue in the distance. "What are your ambitions?"

Sakura smiled at him. "We haven't talked because for the most part, they're already fulfilled."

"Oh?" Obito said, stretching a leg in front of him.

"After the Forest of Death and the invasion of Konoha… I decided I didn't want to be left behind, or stay weak. That's what prompted me to ask Tsunade-sama for help," Sakura said, eyeing him shyly. "You focused on helping Sasuke control his Sharingan and Kiba and Akamaru are sparring against each other non-stop. Their teamwork is amazing, but there is little place for me. So I considered what I could do."

"Chakra control had always been your strongest point," Obito said. "Becoming a medic then?"

"No," Sakura said. "Or at least, nothing so specific. I wanted to become strong. Stronger than any other kunoichi—no, any other shinobi in Konoha." She shrugged. "I'm the top-rated medic after Tsunade-sama, having surpassed Shizune. My taijutsu rivals Tsunade-sama herself and I've mastered Water and Earth elements in additional to medical jutsu." She let out a short laugh. "It doesn't stop me from wanting to become even stronger, but I don't really know where to go from here."

Obito stared at her for a long moment. "ANBU is always an option. I know they're dying to recruit more medics. More work at the hospital is another option, as is taking on your own genin team," he finally said. "Though, if you want my opinion… Continue on the path you're headed."

"Why? Regret taking on a genin team?" Sakura asked cheekily.

Obito laughed quietly at that. A rare sight.

"No," Obito said frankly. "I may not have been the most upbeat of teachers and to be fair, I loathed the Third for pulling me out of missions to take on three brats." He flashed another smile as Sakura chuckled. "But… The three of you saved me."

The laughter died on her lips. Surprised, Sakura looked at him. Obito was looking past her, as though watching something she couldn't see. "If I hadn't become a teacher and see a shadow of my former team in Team 7, I would have lost myself. Anger and hatred consumed me and I couldn't let go."

"Hatred for what?" Sakura probed carefully. Over the years, Obito had shown them glimpses of the man he was underneath his professional attitude. She had come to see him as ubiquitous as the earth, but as opaque as the deepest sea. The fact that he harbored such intense feelings didn't come as a surprise to her; his sharing of said emotions did. It was something he only managed to do once in a blue moon with her. Faintly, she wondered whether Rin had the same effect on him.

"This world," Obito replied, startling her. His eye drifted over her for a moment, dark depth inscrutable. "Tenuous as it is."

Somehow, Sakura gathered he wasn't speaking of the soil itself.

"It occurs to me sometimes how the choices we make in life have a ripple effect," Obito continued, eye focused on the statue in the distance. "Minato-sensei, or well, Lord Fourth, liked to speak of this. How our daily choices may alter and change small things here and there, but change the fate of lives and this world forever."

"Is there any particular choice you're thinking of?" Sakura asked, not daring to speak beyond a whisper as though afraid she might jolt Obito straight out of his open mood.

A humorless smile on his face. "Multiple."

"What happened to Rin?" Sakura dared ask.

As Obito's eye pivoted to meet hers, a faint call drifted over the sound of the distant roaring waterfall. Immediately, the both of them bolted upright, listening to Kiba's call, disguised as the call of a bird, as he signaled to them that Kakashi had been scented by Akamaru. Crimson bled into Obito's eye as he observed the perimeter closely.

"Be on your guard," Obito whispered. "Keep an eye on the wind. If it changes, we must change positions. Kakashi always had a ridiculously good nose."

"Understood, Obito-sensei," Sakura said.

Nothing happened for the longest time. Despite the sound of the waterfall, the area around her and Obito were so quiet, Sakura swore she could hear her own heartbeat. She was aware of the tiny pricks from the short grass under her hands and knees, the light rustle of the leaves in the foliage high above her, the call of a crow not too far from them and the soft even breathing of Obito beside her.

A man appeared on top of the First's statue.

Silver hair that turned golden in the sunlight sat above a black coat adorned with red clouds. Kakashi had turned away from them, observing the waterfall. Glancing at Obito, she found him gritting his teeth in anger. '_No doubt that's Kakashi_,' Sakura thought, squinting at the figure on the statue. Kakashi was popping open his cloak, revealing what seemed to be a masked face. She was careful to duck beneath the shrubbery as he turned to their direction, knowing full well the powers of the Sharingan.

The call of another bird came in—she recognized it as Kiba's second signal. Orochimaru's spy was here.

The spy came from the waterfall side; Sakura could see him quickly climbing up the statue to meet Kakashi. "Yakushi Kabuto," Obito muttered beside her. "Always wondered what happened to him."

The spy, Kabuto, reached Kakashi.

"Kabuto is exchanging greetings," Obito continued, relaying the words copied by the Sharingan. "Kakashi is asking if he was followed. Kabuto said 'no'—Orochimaru probably told him a team would be sent out. He's that kind of—"

It was only a split second.

A split second in which Obito detected the charge of chakra surging to Kakashi's right hand. A moment where she heard the singing of almost a thousand birds at once, a choked gasp so loud Sakura could hear it over the roaring waterfall and then flashes of lightning coming from Kabuto's back, directly behind his heart.

Obito cursed as Sakura struggled to process the speed at which Kakashi had deployed his maneuver. She hadn't even seen him make any hand seals. Kabuto dropped to his knees as Kakashi withdrew his hands, coughing blood once, then another time, before dropping dead to the stone.

"Hmm, _O-bi-to_," a voice came from behind them. Sakura whirled around, forming a chakra scalpel in her hand as Obito drew his kunai.

Kakashi stood behind them, Akatsuki cloak fully opened except for the one button near his waist. His hands pocketed, face masked as he looked down on them, one eye slate-grey, the other a blazing crimson. His silver hair was a tousled mess that looked like it hadn't seen a comb in many years, his voice a slow and lazy drawl but Sakura instantly realized this wasn't a man to be trifled with. Murderous intent rolled off him; from the careful way his eyes flit over her to the twitching of his hand as she moved what had to be less than a millimeter.

"Kakashi," Obito said lowly.

"You always were bad at stealth missions," Kakashi spoke, before a flash of lightning formed in his palm.

* * *

_ **A/N:** _ _ Happy Holidays dear readers! Thank you for your continued support and love throughout this year. Your reviews, comments and messages have inspired me to keep going through it all. Here's to hoping 2020 will be a beautiful and productive year!_


	3. Chapter 2

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

Uchiha Itachi, head of the Uchiha clan and Sixth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf village, sat quietly as he nursed his headache while listening to his father. Fugaku stood at the other side of the table, hands firmly planted on the table. "In conclusion, as de facto leader of the Uchiha Clan, I would like to propose moving the Uchiha Clan to the vacated district nearer to the Hokage Administrational building in Sector B."

Next to Itachi, Hyuuga Hiashi let out a long-winded sigh, which heralded the start of a fierce discussion led by various clan heads, all with their own ideas on how to fill in the newly vacated district. Itachi forced himself to listen to all the different suggestions, not missing the way Nara Shikaku shot him a pitying smile of sorts. Itachi made eye-contact with the older man, who shrugged.

"The Uchiha are housed in a perfectly good district as is," Hiashi said with an air of finality. As Fugaku shot him an angry glare, most clan heads nodded in agreement. The gesture was not lost on either of the Uchiha men. Fugaku had long since been frustrated with Hiashi's influence over the rest of the clans. Inwardly, Itachi smiled. It used to be he himself was arguing on the Uchiha's behalf during these meetings. If there was one thing Fugaku wasn't happy with after seeing his son ascend to Hokage as first Uchiha, it was the very fact he was required to join in on clan meetings.

Then again, however, as Hokage he was now required to play arbiter and make the final decisions. Truthfully, it was one of the less glamorous parts of his job as Hokage. "The Uchiha clan remains in Sector G; there is no immediate reason to move," Itachi said, calmly meeting Fugaku's furious gaze head on. His father sat back in the chair, crossing his arms as he looked away from the table. "Any further issues?" He waited for anyone to speak up. "Meeting adjourned," he spoke, glancing at the scribing chuunin in the corner.

He stood from his place, intent on making a quick exit. Fugaku's temper was best compared to a boil. Let it sit and it would turn red and fester until it finally popped on its own. Better to lance it quickly and let his anger run its course until it dried up. Before Fugaku could circle around the table, Itachi was out the door and off toward his office. The ANBU guarding the door opened it for him and as he stepped through, Hisao and Junko awaited him.

Namikaze Minato's former team mates had reached middle-aged but were, thankfully, a lot more politically progressive than Koharu and Homura had been before them. After Danzou's untimely death, the conservative political center that ruled Konoha for years crumbled and shattered, paving the way for a pacifist Hokage.

"Itachi," Junko said, voice soft, meeting his gaze steadily. "There was an attack on the Mist."

He stopped mid-stride.

"Early yesterday morning, the village was bombed," Hisao said, pushing a hand through his thick, greying hair. "Secretive as the village is, the Mizukage hasn't deigned to share any details, but it seems the whole village is in shambles."

"Bombed?" Itachi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Correct," Junko replied.

"If the whole village is destroyed, that would imply involvement from the Rock," Itachi frowned and paused. His thoughts drawn to a slip of paper in a manila envelope presented to him by Orochimaru. A young, blond man, smirking into the camera and the classification of an S-Class criminal; a bomb specialist. "Or—"

"We read the files on Akatsuki," Junko nodded. "We've concluded that there is a high chance this is Akatsuki. Though it's been many years, the Rock is still recovering from the last war. It takes time to cultivate a strong shinobi village and they were decimated near the end of the war. It would be out of character for old Oonoki to attack the Mist. He always was a prudent one."

"And an unwise decision," Hisao added. "The Fire Country and Konoha are between both countries." He scratched his beard. "Obito and Team Seven are due to spy on the Akatsuki meeting at the Valley of the End today?"

"Correct," Itachi said, checking the clock that hung down the hall. He considered the situation for a moment, then held up a hand to summon an ANBU member.

Genma materialized beside him in a whirlwind of leaves, face covered by a tanuki mask. "Gather Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuga Hiashi, Akimichi Chouza, Aburame Shibi and Nara Shikaku. Tell them there's an important meeting which requires the committee and the Jounin commander in one hour in my office."

"Understood, Hokage-sama," Genma said, smooth voice muffled by the porcelain.

Junko hummed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Is it wise to involve the Four Noble clans at this time?"

Itachi was silent as he looked out the window. Sunlight washed over Konoha, the sky a clear blue. If he squinted, he could see the tops of the buildings in the Uchiha District from his vantage point. Memories deep within him stirred; a move to the farthest district from the city center in the middle of the night, clandestine meetings and a clan shunned and ostracized. Never again.

"I have no secrets from the Four," Itachi said. Hisao and Junko both nodded and walked away. He stood quietly in the hallway by himself for a few seconds, contemplating what the changing of seasons would bring to him this time. Finally, Itachi strolled off to his office.

* * *

Time seemed to move extremely fast and yet slowed down to a point where she could see everything, as though she was watching one of her mother's old black and white movies.

Kakashi forming his lightning technique in his hand, the distinct smell of burnt plastic as electric sparks formed on and around Kakashi's palm. The next moment, the movement of his legs - Kakashi moved with the grace and speed of a pouncing leopard – to the blank look in his eye as he made for Obito and reached her teacher before she could even blink.

There was nothing to see there. Not even the faintest flicker of emotion as he sought out to snuff out his former friend's life.

Obito ducked away just as Sakura closed the distance.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura sent a burst of chakra to her hand, sending her fist into Kakashi's face. He blocked her, long fingers wrapped around her fist. He deflected her blow, mismatched eyes half-lidded and almost bored as he pulled her closer and kicked at her. With a mighty roar, Sakura managed to rip free of his grasp just in time to avoid his leg.

Obito came in at him, slashing with his kunai. As Kakashi deftly dodged the attack, Sakura looked up to find Sasuke landing on a tree branch nearby. He glanced at her, quickly forming seals in his hand.

From the shrubbery, Akamaru and Kiba burst in, both in humanoid forms as they spun toward Kakashi in a massive tornado of claws and fangs together. Kakashi slammed his palms to the ground, erecting a large wall from the ground, complete with carvings of dogs—something she would have found hilarious in another lifetime. Kiba and Akamaru both slammed into the wall, leaping off as they hit.

Forming the last of her technique seals, Sakura let her chakra flow through her like a tsunami. Behind her, a giant dragon formed in the water, hastening toward Kakashi. A second later, Sasuke sent a beam of pure lightning into her technique, turning the dragon of water lethal upon hit. Obito launched into a great fireball jutsu, both attacks hitting Kakashi at the same time.

Obito let out a humorless laugh. "I see you still haven't changed Kakashi. Always hiding your true body beneath the surface while you scout out your opponents." He glanced at Sakura from the corner of his eye.

Nodding, Sakura slammed her fist into the forest floor. The ground cracked beneath her, shifting away. To her left, part of the earth broke into the river, carried by the stream over the waterfall's edge. As the earthquake settled, Sasuke, Kiba and Akamaru immediately surrounded her in a manji formation, keeping her safe as per Obito's usual instructions.

Kakashi sat in one of the cracks, looking up at the group of Konoha ninja. Obito stepped in front of his students, kunai held in front of him as he crouched into a battle position. "You're one to talk, Obito."

"How is that?" Obito retorted, voice lower than she had ever heard it before. Sakura chanced a look at him. Despite the dark feelings that raged inside him, Obito had always been a kind teacher, someone who valued team work and treated his team like his younger siblings. How was he feeling, coming face to face with his former friend?

Kakashi sighed and squatted down, the look he sent Obito almost disapproving. "You never did have the battle acumen to realize I wasn't here alone."

"Fuck," Kiba said, whirling around as Akamaru began barking loudly.

"Oh-ho, Kakashi-san, you gave me away," a voice said from behind her. Eyes wide, Sakura turned to find a tall man standing there. Silently thanking the many long days Tsunade had spent training her to avoid any and all attacks, Sakura leapt out of the way at the very last moment along with Sasuke. Finding his hand on her shoulder, Sakura flashed him a quick smile—if her hard-won instincts had abandoned her, he would have pulled her out of the way.

"Kisame, you're too slow," Kakashi called from the crater, jumping up to the ground level with ease. He pocketed his hands, Akatsuki cloak billowing in the wind.

The man named Kisame turned to Kakashi, a frown on his face. "You told me to be cautious of the dog child and his pet, Kakashi-san." Kisame crinkled his nose as his frown deepened. "I dislike dogs."

"I'll make sure to tell Pakkun."

Even from across the field, Sakura could hear Kiba curse under his breath. Kisame looked amused at that, heaving a massive sword covered in bandages over his shoulder.

Obito stood between both Akatsuki members, his sole eye firmly trimmed on Kakashi. Evidently he relied on his team members to watch his back. "This Kisame has a massive amount of chakra… I've never seen anything like it," Sasuke said to her, voice low. She nodded infinitesimally as an acknowledgement and made eye contact with Kiba. The look he shot her told Sakura both Akamaru and Kiba were ready for a second round.

"Hoshigaki Kisame," Obito said, glancing over his shoulder at the taller man. "I believe they called you the Monster of the Hidden Mist, yes? Must be quite a reputation you amassed for the village of the Bloody Mist to give you such a title."

"Oh, you heard of me, what an honor," Kisame rasped with a chuckle. Even from this distance, Sakura could see his razor sharp teeth. "Though you're also known to us, Uchiha Obito."

"Well, there is a reason why they call Kakashi 'Friend-killer' in Konoha," Obito said, his voice icy-cold.

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched at that.

Kisame chuckled at that. "Not Kakashi of the Sharingan? Not Copy-ninja Kakashi? But Friend-killer Kakashi?"

Obito's face darkened. "I'm glad we've all been reacquainted with each other."

"Aren't you just," Kisame chuckled again. A moment later, his grin faded as he turned his shark-like eyes to the sky. Interestingly enough, Kakashi had turned his face upward also. Not knowing what to do with this turn of events, Sakura looked over to Obito who stood completely silent as he glared at Kakashi.

"Seems we have to cut this meeting short," Kakashi said eventually.

"Chickening out?" Kiba called.

Kisame turned his gaze to Kiba, exposing his razor-sharp teeth. "Our leader beckons us."

"Leader?" Sakura said quietly to Sasuke. He glanced at her, shrugging.

"You're not going anywhere," Obito said, taking a step forward, the move mirrored by both Kiba and Sasuke. Sakura crouched down beside them, ready to strike. Kakashi pocketed his hands once more, gave Obito a sleepy-eyed stare and turned to leave.

"Kakashi!" Obito called out, gritting his teeth as he took another step. Something crossed over his face, painful and white-hot as it contorted his already warped facial scars. The anger melted away, a hint of a younger man on Obito's face as he moved toward Kakashi. "Kakashi!"

"Quite a loud one, this one," Kisame said, disdain on his face.

Finally, Kakashi looked over his shoulder.

"You were my friend," Obito said, surprising her with a surge of emotion in his voice. As though the inflection itself shattered the façade of anger and hatred he had masked himself with, a stunned and saddened little boy left in its wake as he tried to come to grips with a reality he already know and seemingly understood, only to be felled by the disregard Kakashi wore so callously.

If the word 'friend' meant anything at all to Kakashi, he didn't show it. Instead, the space around him seemed to morph and swirl and pulled him and Kisame in until they disappeared in thin air, leaving them alone with the roar of the waterfall.

* * *

"Sakura," Kiba called.

She looked him over, pink hair whipping in the wind. "What is it, Kiba?"

"Do you think we should… talk to him?" Kiba sounded hesitant, jerking his head to Obito. Their captain had set a brutal pace back to Konoha after Sakura looked them over for injuries, zigzagging between the trees with enough chakra in his feet to splinter every branch he landed on.

"Why are you asking me?" Sakura hissed.

Kiba lifted an eyebrow. "He likes you best."

"That's not true. He loves Akamaru."

"Akamaru can't speak," Kiba said, stating the obvious. As if proving he had his master's back, Akamaru barked once at that. Kiba grinned at that and reached over to scratch him behind the ear.

"He doesn't look to be in a talkative mood," Sakura said.

Sasuke, who had seemed content to follow Obito's frenzied tempo, slowed down ahead of them.

"Oi, Sasuke," Kiba said. "Where did Kakashi get that Sharingan from?"

Sasuke gestured toward Obito. "When Obito was lost at Kannabi Bridge, Kakashi returned with the rest of his team, one of his eyes replaced with a Sharingan."

"Figured as much," Kiba nodded.

"Doesn't take a genius to connect the dots."

Kiba swore. "What was that, asshole?"

"You heard me."

"Enough," Sakura interjected with a deep sigh. The last thing she wanted was for Sasuke and Kiba to get in another one of their fights. The last time they got in an argument together, it took Obito to separate both of them and lecture them for hours until they got so frustrated that they apologized to each other simply to get Obito to stop talking. Sending a burst of chakra to her legs, Sakura quickly caught up to Obito, watching the Uchiha sign on his back ripple with every movement.

"Obito-sensei?"

Either he didn't hear her or he was lost in thought. Doubling her efforts to keep up with him, she called out his name a little louder this time. Obito startled and looked over his shoulder, coming to an abrupt stop on the next branch. "What is it, Sakura?"

"We're about seven hours away from Konoha and the sun has gone under. We're close to Tanzaku. Should we stop there for the night?" Sakura asked, mentioning the first thing that came to mind. Obito exhaled heavily and looked southward, toward where Konoha was situated. Taking the moment to observe him, her keen eye quickly took note of the line of sweat running from the side of his head, his heavy breathing and obvious fatigue.

Obito turned his sole eye to hers with a look that told her he knew exactly what she was up to. "Sasuke, Kiba," Obito barked. "We're spending the night in Tanzaku." With that, he set off again, albeit this time at a marginally slower pace.

"I thought you were going to talk to him," Kiba hissed as they trailed after Obito.

Sakura glared at him. "Didn't you see me try to do exactly that?"

"Didn't seem to be effective."

"At least we're stopping somewhere instead of pushing on to Konoha," Sakura sighed heavily.

They reached Tanzaku well past eight at night. After Obito checked them into separate rooms, he disappeared into his, leaving his team alone. As the three of them walked outside with Akamaru, Kiba lifted his nose and sniffed the air. "Three options nearby. Curry, tempura or ramen."

"Curry," Sasuke said at the same time Sakura said: "Tempura."

"Ramen it is," Kiba said, rushing down the street with Akamaru in tow.

Sasuke made an annoyed sound, but followed anyway. "Hungry enough not to protest?" Sakura joked.

"Not worth it," Sasuke said, pocketing his hands.

She smiled at him. After spending years being madly in love with him and trying to earn his affections, Sakura had finally given up on him. He, in turn, had managed to open up to her in more ways than he ever did with either Kiba or Obito—despite the latter being from the same clan.

They didn't speak about it often, but Sakura had surmised that Obito was one of the outcasts from the clan, while Sasuke was son of the Uchiha clan leader. It seemed that despite the fact that the Uchiha Clan was one—not divided into a branch and head, there were struggles in the clan she would never understand as an outsider. And while Sasuke was surrounded by all of his clan members, Sakura knew he had been lonely for a long time.

"Aw yeah, this smells awesome," Kiba shouted at the shop entrance in enthusiasm, looking over his shoulder to beckon them over. An elderly lady stepped outside with some food for Akamaru and asked him how many they were. As Kiba held up three fingers, the lady checked inside. From underneath the curtain, Sakura could look into the shop, finding most of the seats taken.

"Sorry, you'll have to wait for a little while," the lady said apologetically.

"Nah, it's okay baa-chan," a voice came from inside. The curtain pulled aside and a young man of about her age stepped outside. "I was finished anyway."

"Lucky! Thanks," Kiba said, rushing inside with Sasuke following close behind. Sakura smiled gratefully at the young man before ducking into the shop. She sat down beside Sasuke who perused the menu and ordered whatever he had. Unlike Kiba – who was already shoveling down thick slabs of perfectly cooked pork – Sasuke tended to go for the healthier options.

"So, let's talk," Kiba said after slurping down a particularly large bite. "Obito-sensei, Kakashi and someone else were in the Fourth's team. The war started, Obito-sensei got hurt at Kannabi Bridge and Kakashi returned with the Sharingan. How did he transplant the eye?"

"Rin," Sakura spoke. "The third teammate. She was a medic."

a "So, Obito-sensei gets hurt and is assumed dead. Rin transplants the eye into Kakashi—who probably lost his own eye during that same mission, did you see that scar over his eye? – and they leave Obito-sensei… Who then returns after a year or so to Konoha." Kiba paused. "What the fuck happened at Kannabi Bridge?"

Sakura giggled as the elderly lady behind the counter tutted at Kiba's language. He promptly turned a bright red and apologized profusely. "What happened at Kannabi?" he hissed again, glancing at Sasuke this time.

"I saved Kakashi's life and was buried under rocks," Obito said. Startled, the three of them turned around to find their teacher standing behind them, a resigned look on his face. Wordlessly, Obito sat down beside Sakura as the customer stood to pay for their ramen. "Isn't that what you wanted to know?"

"We're sorry, Obito-sensei," Sakura said carefully. "We were just… curious."

"But now that you're here…" Kiba probed, defiantly staring back as both Sasuke and Sakura shot him a warning glance.

"It was an A-rank mission to destroy Kannabi Bridge. Kakashi had gotten his promotion to Jounin and Minato-sensei placed him in charge, effectively splitting up the team. Rin—our teammate – was captured by enemy forces." Obito stared into the kitchen, his eye a million miles and a million years away. "Kakashi and I had a fight. I wanted to go after her… Kakashi… Well, I told you before; he is the kind of man to follow orders. After what happened to the White Fang, he wasn't inclined to disobey."

A long pause followed.

"My rescue attempt was… well dramatic. Kakashi changed his mind and came to help. He lost an eye trying to defend me, then helped pull Rin out of there. The cave collapsed though and I acted on instinct, pushing Kakashi out of harm's way but ended up under the rocks myself." Obito turned to them. "The rest is as you surmised. I gifted my eye to Kakashi, which Rin transplanted. I… expected to die beneath the rubble."

They were silent for the longest time, the three of them like children again before their jounin sensei. '_You loved him_,' Sakura thought. _'He was not just a friend to you, he was like a brother. So what happened?'_

* * *

Three flickering projections came to life in the dark shadows of a cave in the far south.

"Report," Leader said, his voice a quiet whisper.

"Yakushi Kabuto eliminated," Kakashi spoke. "We had him followed—he was reporting information to Orochimaru, who was confirmed to have entered Konoha a few days before our meeting. This leak is further confirmed by the fact that a squad from Konoha awaited us as the meeting point."

"Konoha?" Leader asked, intense eyes burning over Kakashi. "Which squad?"

"Team Seven comprised of Uchiha Sasuke, Inuzuka Kiba and Haruno Sakura, led by Uchiha Obito."

Leader waited expectantly. "We engaged in a brief skirmish until you recalled us."

Kisame chuckled. "That was an interesting group of people."

Leader took a step forward. Though just a projection, Kakashi could clearly feel the cold anger and discontentment rolling off him. "Kisame, Kakashi… What were my orders?"

"Not to engage," Kisame replied calmly.

"I believe I was quite clear."

"You were, Leader," Kakashi said quietly.

"Do not disappoint me again," Leader said coldly, before disappearing from the cave, leaving both Kisame and him in total darkness.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ _Oh my god I was battling a HUGE writers block. Sorry for the long time without an update!_


	4. Chapter 3

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

At the gates of Konoha, they were greeted by the familiar sight of Maito Gai running laps around the main gate on his hands. Always a spectacle to behold, Team Seven halted in his tracks as he finished his final lap. Rock Lee stood at the edge of the make-shift training field, edging Gai on to take the last steps. As Gai barreled through the finish-line, he collapsed on the ground, arms shaking heavily.

"I'd better check if he's alright. You go ahead," Sakura said with a shake of her head, taking off her gloves. Lee sat on his knees beside Gai, fists balled on his thighs, listening to an impassioned speech with tears in his eyes.

"Better you than us," Kiba said, rushing off with Akamaru. Sasuke followed with a heavy sigh as Obito vanished; probably making his way to Hokage Tower too. The worst of his dark mood seemed to have passed. Obito had spent most of the day chasing after Akamaru in a playful race home, and Sakura had definitely seen him smile once.

"Lee-san, Gai-sensei," Sakura greeted as she walked to the dynamic duo. Lee looked up, hastily brushing the tears from the corners of his eyes as he stood up.

"Sakura-san," Lee said in return, a smile forming on his lips. "It is a pleasure seeing you again."

She smiled at him, crouching down beside Gai. "A thousand laps on your hands this time, Gai-sensei?" she asked, cool chakra pooling over his twitching arm. "Even with all your power of youth, that is a very difficult feat."

"Working hard is of no use to someone who doesn't believe in himself, Sakura," Gai said, gritting his teeth as he attempted to lift his left hand. "It's not until you push yourself beyond what you perceive to be your limitations that you can grow."

"Well," Sakura said, forcing his other arm down as she healed the torn muscle in his arms. "There is something called 'overdoing it,' but I'm sure I don't need to tell you that."

"Right you are," Gai boomed good-naturedly, pearly-white teeth gleaming in the early morning sunlight as he gave her a beaming smile and a shaky thumbs up.

"Gai-sensei is always training hard," Lee said, crouching down beside her.

Sakura looked up at the older man. Gai had also been in Obito's classes, though the two of them rarely interacted. They got along fine, shared some drinks after the Chuunin exams and chatted amicably whenever they ran into each other, but like most people in Obito's life, it seemed almost superficial. "Why _do_ you train so hard?"

"Ah-ha," Gai said in a half-smile, his dark eyes turning to the road that led away from Konoha. "It's my rule never to let my guard down. One day, my eternal rival will return and on that day, I'll be ready to challenge him to a match." Sadness crossed behind his eyes that rapidly turned into a fierce heat. He flexed his muscles and nodded appreciatively at her, jumping to his feet. "Come, Lee! Next, we will do a thousand laps around Konoha!"

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Lee said, thanking her quietly under his breath before racing after Gai.

Shaking her head in amusement, Sakura set off to the administration building. Finding the rest of her team waiting before the Sixth's office, she plopped down in a chair beside Obito, who glanced up. "Is Gai alright?"

"The usual," Sakura said with a smile. "Training to the brink of exhaustion. Something about his eternal rival and not wanting to lose." She didn't miss the way Obito's fingers twitched on the armrest, but when no explanation came, she let it slide.

"Ah," Yuuhi Kurenai said as she stepped out of the door, followed closely by Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino and Ito Genrou. The wolf-summoner scrunched his nose as he looked at Kiba, who gritted his teeth even as Akamaru growled lowly.

"Mutt," Genrou said.

"Mongrel," Kiba shot back.

"Enough you two," Kurenai intervened, placing her hands on her hips, shooting a disapproving look to the dark-haired Chuunin in her team. He held up an apologetic hand, running his hand through his shoulder-length hair. Hyuuga Hinata smiled shyly at Sakura in greeting, bobbing her head almost imperceptibly while Shino remained stoic, eyes hidden behind his glasses as always. Kurenai stepped toward Obito in greeting. "It's been a while. Have you seen Asuma recently? I know he has some news he wants to share."

Obito stood to his feet to reply to Kurenai as Sakura took a moment to observe her chuunin team. Frankly, the three shinobi that rounded out the rookie nine she graduated with were the three she knew the least. Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru had, grudgingly, been close since childhood and her friendship with Ino meant she often interacted with the two boys. Hyuuga Hinata, however, came from one of the most influential clans in the village but was simultaneously one of the most silent and least confident kunoichi she knew. Aburame Shino was shrouded in mystery, though Sakura remembered from their chuunin exams he worked together with bugs that lived in symbiosis with him beneath his skin—something that still caused her to shiver whenever she thought of it.

Similarly, all she knew of the Ito clan is that the clan itself inhabits some caves near the village gates and manages the shrine dedicated to the mountain spirit. Apparently, Genrou and Kiba had a little rivalry going on since childhood, which had only grown fiercer during their adolescence. Once, when she had asked Kiba about it, he snorted and said: "Dogs and wolves don't get along." And that was that, apparently.

Obito and Kurenai said their goodbyes, Sakura realized, as the stunning kunoichi moved past her and Obito knocked on the Sixth's door. "Enter," came Itachi's voice. As she trailed behind Obito, her gaze fell on Uchiha Itachi and his ridiculously orderly desk. How often had she begged Tsunade to sort out her work and stop procrastination? Memories of her sorting out stacks of paperwork together with Shizune while Tsunade snored, fallen asleep at her desk once again, caused a fond smile to form on her lips.

The Sixth himself looked up, dressed only in the new style uniform he was implementing throughout the ranks, only a red band around his arm signifying him as Hokage. '_Looks more comfortable than those stuffy robes_,' she thought to herself, smiling cheerfully as Itachi's gaze fell on her.

"Team Seven, report," Itachi said, reclining.

"Lord Sixth, we made it to the Valley of the End with no delays. Once there, we witnessed Kakashi killing Yakushi Kabuto—who I assume was the informant Orochimaru was using—before being attacked both Kakashi and his partner, Hoshigaki Kisame, formerly from Mist."

Itachi frowned as he listened to Obito describing the battle in great detail, listing the skills he had seen Kisame use and confirm the unmistakable fact that this was, in fact, Hatake Kakashi. Using Chidori had proven that much. "They suddenly ceased combat, as if listening to something, and then retreated. Kisame mentioned their 'leader beckoning them back.' They left and after Sakura checked our wounds, we made our way back to Konoha."

The Sixth sat forward, fingers linked on the desk as he scrutinized Obito a little moment longer. "And you are positive this was Hatake Kakashi?"

"Yes, Lord Sixth. There was no mistake about it."

"How unfortunate," Itachi said. "Yakushi Kabuto?"

"Dead," Sakura replied, drawing Itachi's attention. "I checked his body but Chidori burned through his heart completely. There was nothing I could do."

"We retrieved the body," Obito said, holding up a small scroll. "I'll bring it to the medical examiners directly after the briefing."

"It's a shame we were unsuccessful in spying on the meeting," Itachi said, standing from his seat. He clasped his hands behind him and walked to the windows overlooking Konoha. "For now, it seems Orochimaru's information is correct." He glanced over his shoulder to the four of them. "Mist has been attacked by two men in black cloaks with red clouds. I assume this sounds familiar."

Kiba swore while Sasuke scoffed, a deep frown forming on Obito's face. "Akatsuki," he asked, though it sounded more like a statement.

"Correct, though, if reports are accurate, a different team from Kakashi and Kisame. Mist has been bombed severely, something consistent with a bomb-expert from the Rock, someone also listed in the data Orochimaru provided; Deidara. The second man was not identified, though sources claim he had red hair, and a slashed headband of the Sand." Itachi turned to them.

"An attack on any village is a brazen action that has been thoroughly planned. As of yesterday, Konoha is on high-alert, though that information is privy only to the elite jounin, the guards and the council. Team Seven, I'll keep you apprised of the movements of Akatsuki. Consider this a top-ranked mission. No-one is to know about your missions related to Akatsuki," Itachi glanced at his younger brother. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, Lord Sixth," the four of them said in union, Akamaru barking his assent.

"Dismissed."

* * *

Uchiha Itachi stood at the edge of Nakano River and brooded quietly.

On this side of Konoha, the river wended its way between the banks that were that special kind of vivid green only springtime brought to Konoha. In the post-dawn light, the water looked almost turquoise, the normal torrid stream quieter than usual. Once, he had sat here beside Shisui, philosophizing about the village and the fate of the Uchiha clan. Even now, it felt like only weeks had passed rather than years since the last time he saw his best friend.

Since he watched, frozen to the ground, as Shisui fell backwards into the river, a smile on his blood-stained face.

Itachi closed his eyes, angling his face upward to catch a ray of sunlight. He enjoyed being by himself in the early hours of the morning. Though Genma, unsubtle as that man was, hinted at the fact that his ANBU detail wasn't particularly happy with losing their charge every morning, Itachi relished in the small sense of freedom. Once, he was unseen as he maneuvered through the shadows. That felt like a lifetime ago.

A small snap of a twig alerted him to someone else. Instinctively, he whirled around, peering into the direction where the sound came from. A flash of pink as Haruno Sakura picked her way through the bushes, soft hums filling the air as she scavenged the forest floor. Try as he might, Itachi couldn't stop the small smile that curled his lips.

She wore a simple green sweater that perfectly complimented her eye and hair color, her hair tied and gathered over her shoulder. She bit down on her plump bottom lip, taking a whiff of the herbs she was collecting before tucking them away. '_Of course,_' he thought to himself. '_Today is the day she restocks the hospital with medicinal herbs._' Just as he was about to turn away, Sakura looked up.

"Hokage-sama!" she let out in surprise.

"Sakura," Itachi said in greeting, unable to stop himself from warming at the sight of her smile.

"I didn't expect you to be here—or anyone else for that matter," Sakura said, patting some dirt from her pants.

"The feeling is mutual," Itachi said kindly. "I often come here to think."

"Oh," Sakura said, looking a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry to disturb you."

He smiled at her. "You haven't, I assure you."

She nodded, but looked unconvinced. Inwardly, Itachi couldn't help but laugh at himself. Hokage to Konoha, protector of his people; he was a leader of a village, head of his clan and yet completely unable to keep a conversation going with the one woman who had piqued his interest in these last years. If Sasuke saw him now, he was sure his little brother would find him distinctly less cool and collected. "Are you gathering for the hospital?" he asked with a nod to her pouch, hoping to win himself more time to collect his thoughts.

"Oh, yes," Sakura said with a glance down. "I often do an afternoon shift at the hospital on Thursdays if we're not away on missions. Since the other medics are busy running the hospital, I go out to collect medicinal herbs before my shift."

"Do you enjoy being a medic?" Itachi asked, watching her as she carefully made her way to him, picking up some herbs here and there.

She paused. "Did you speak with Obito-sensei?"

Confused, he shook his head. "Should I?"

Promptly, a light blush graced her cheeks as Itachi made a mental note to question his fellow clansman. "No, no," Sakura replied, waving her hand. "It's just that Obito-sensei asked me the same thing recently… and I thought, well, maybe you spoke."

"I asked out of curiosity, Sakura," he said, hoping she missed the way his voice changed slightly when he spoke her name. It was easy to keep a distance between the two of them in the Hokage office with a massive desk between them. It was distinctly less so when it was just the two of them, alone in a forest.

She raised her eyes to meet his. "Is that part of the job? Getting to know all your shinobi?"

"Part of it, yes," Itachi replied. "When I was younger… I found it… difficult to talk to the leaders of Konoha, so I've attempted to be more open and to talk more to the people around me."

Sakura cocked her head as she folded her sleeves, observing him with her keen eyes. "The Third, you mean?" she asked, before hastily adding: "Hokage-sama?"

"Mostly the Fourth," Itachi confided in her, clearly surprising her. "The Third was always open for a dialogue, be it with the oldest man in the village or the baby who couldn't even speak."

Sakura smiled fondly at the memory of Sarutobi Hiruzen. "I was too young to ever meet the Fourth before his death… But I always understood from everyone he was a very kind and gentle man," Sakura mused, closing her bag of herbs.

The corner of his mouth tugged up as he thought back at Namikaze Minato's lesson when he was a child. The thought process had guided him throughout the rest of his life, culminating in him accepting the Hokage's robes as they were offered to him, the first Uchiha Hokage in history. "He was a thoughtful and curious man," Itachi said. "But, to me, he was also a man larger than life. We heard stories of him killing a thousand Rock shinobi with his bare hands and celebrated him as the greatest shinobi to live. I had lived through the end of the war and saw with my own eyes the devastation it, and the Fourth himself, had caused."

Sakura remained quiet, walking beside him as they trundled through the forest together. "I suppose… no-one who leads a village can be a complete ray of sunlight. Hard decisions need to be made, for the greater good?" she asked, though it felt more of a statement as she gave him a sidelong glance.

An ironic smile tugged at his lips. "For the greater good," he assented.

"Have… have you?" she almost sounded scared to ask, ducking her face as he scrutinized her profile.

"Yes," Itachi replied honestly, feeling as though all air escaped from his lungs with that one short word. "I have had to make those choices."

A long pause ensued.

Just as he was about to speak, a small hand curled around his bicep. Surprised, he turned to meet Sakura's steady gaze as she looked at him, forest green darting back and forth between his eyes. "Thank you," she said eventually.

His heart stuttered in his chest as he turned to fully face her, overwhelmed by the amount of trust she conveyed in just those two little words. "You're welcome," he said, observing her for just a moment longer before he felt Genma's chakra closing in on him. "I ought to get to work. Thank you for the talk, Sakura."

With that, he formed seals for a teleportation jutsu and flashed to his office, finally releasing the breath he didn't know he was holding.

* * *

"Now, why do we have something ridiculous like Twelve Guardian Ninja when the largest and strongest hidden village is located in the Fire Country, anyway?" Kiba questioned loudly as they stood in front of the gates of the Fire Temple. He held his hands in his pockets, scrunching up his face as he observed one of the golden statues outside the gate, following the long nose of one of them with his eyes. "And what is up with this?"

Obito grabbed him by his ear, yanking him in place just as the gate opened and an elderly monk opened the door. "Oh-ho-ho, the last of the Konoha delegation," he wheezed. "Welcome, welcome." He shuffled away, leading them through the complex.

Kiba gritted his teeth as he massaged his ear, glaring at Obito. "Glare all you want but they're a high-paying client and you'll treat them with respect, Inuzuka." Sakura couldn't help but stifle a giggle as Sasuke grinned innocuously. "First, the Twelve Guardian Ninja were personal bodyguards to the Fire Daimyou in times of war. As you know, since the end of the last war, Konoha has taken up duty to the Fire Daimyou, but the Guardians are still around for tasks that need not involve Konoha."

"Second, the Guardians trained one of our most prominent jounin, so you can be certain they're every bit as strong as any other Konoha-trained jounin," Obito continued tersely. "Third, that was a Tengu."

"A what?" Kiba said.

"Protective spirits of forests and mountains," Sakura interjected, noting the way Obito was saying a little prayer behind Kiba, no doubt asking for whoever was watching for him to keep his patience. She fought to swallow her giggles.

Sasuke looked lost in thought beside her. "Sasuke?" she whispered.

He looked at her. "My brother has a technique that resembles a tengu," he said, observing another statue of the forest spirit, this one ornately colored in crimson.

"I've never seen him in battle," Sakura said, wondering it would be like to witness a Kage in battle. She had heard the stories about Uchiha Itachi; a veritable battle genius, genjutsu specialist and how he could bring someone to their knees with just one look. How much of it was exaggerated, she mused.

Promptly, she was reminded of the short conversation she had with him. The Sixth always had an air of mystery around him. One of the youngest shinobi to ever become Hokage, he seemed a strange juxtaposition of kind and gentle as well as severe and strong, coupled with a wisdom that seemed far beyond his young age.

"Ah, Obito, you're here," a familiar voice called to them. Sarutobi Asuma came walking to them, for once without a cigarette between his lips, hands pocketed. "Sasuke, Sakura, Kiba," he greeted the three of them, holding a hand out for Akamaru to sniff. "Good to see you all."

"Good to see you, Asuma," Obito said. "Heard you were in need of some assistance."

Asuma cocked his head and chuckled. "You could call it that. Heard from the Sixth you're familiar with some missing-nin wearing black cloaks with red clouds? We have spotted them in the area. Chiriku—the leader of the Twelve Guardians—has some concerns regarding them and from what I understand, none of them are misplaced." He signaled for them to follow. "Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji are on guard-duty outside of the temple for the night. I'll introduce you to Chiriku."

Chiriku turned out to be a monk with severe eyebrows that would definitely impress both Lee and Gai's heads. He walked through the courtyard without shoes, frowning as he poked at a congestion of twigs and dirt on one gate with a thin stick. "Chiriku, this is our reinforcement from Konoha," Asuma began, drawing the monk's attention. As he turned, Asuma gestured to Obito. "Uchiha Obito, with his team; Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru."

"Thank you for coming," Chiriku said, his voice melodious and low as he reached to shake Obito's hand first, before moving down the line.

"Of course," Obito said courteously. "We understood Akatsuki is targeting you?"

"In a sense," Chiriku said, gesturing for them to enter the building. As they took their shoes off and sat down at a table, another monk stepped in to serve them tea. "A few weeks ago, I received word of two men looking for me; both dressed in what I now understand is a mercenary group's attire," Chiriku began, twisting his teacup in his hands. "Without sounding blasé, when one has a substantial bounty tied to their name, this happens occasionally." He smiled ironically.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Are you in the Bingo Book?"

"Yes," Chiriku said. "As a force unconnected to Konoha, it is easy for other villages to put a bounty on my head for the smallest things. Over time, that bounty grew, but understandably, most shinobi are hesitant to enter the Fire Country for fear of provoking Konoha—most. It seems Akatsuki is bolder than most."

"What happened?" Obito asked as Kiba surreptitiously pulled out his Bingo Book to look up the entry for Chiriku.

"There are twelve temples like these in the southern parts of the Fire Country. Akatsuki entered the first one, looking for me. When they couldn't find me, they slaughtered every monk, except one, keeping them alive to let me know they were looking for me," Chiriku said, fist balling on the table. "Understand; though we are not in any way affiliated with Konoha and its shinobi institutes, the monks there are comparable to jounin. Since that first temple, they have continued their search for me and ransacked two more temples. I've tried to find them to confront them, but there is just too much land between these temples and it seems they're striking at random rather than following a pattern."

Obito frowned. "Are you expecting for them to come here next?"

"We sent out word where to find me, through official channels and underground networks. A few days ago, they were spotted heading in this very direction. So we're expecting them to find us any day now," Chiriku said, laying a hand on Asuma's shoulder. "Asuma is a dear friend of mine, so he offered to join us in making our stand here, together with his team."

"Understood," Obito said, taking a sip of his tea, single eye darting to Asuma.

Kiba elbowed her. Just as she was about to tell him off, he shoved his Bingo Book into her lap, pointing with an excited gesture at the bounty on Chiriku's head. "Thirty million ryo?" Sakura hissed at him. "That's a fortune."

"I've never seen a bounty go up that high before," Kiba mumbled back as Sasuke plucked the book from Sakura's hands. Obito's eye shot to the three of them, narrowing in a warning gesture.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Sasuke raised the Bingo Book over the table. "Kiba looked Chiriku up in the Bingo Book."

"Sasuke, you asshole," Kiba growled, swiping to retrieve his Bingo Book. Gritting her teeth, Sakura pushed him down on his seat just as Obito apologized profusely to Chiriku.

"Not to worry," Chiriku said, letting out a light-hearted laugh. "I can imagine you're rarely tasked with protecting someone who is listed in the Bingo Book."

Sasuke lifted his eyes to meet Chiriku's gaze. "It says here one of the reason's you're listed is for crimes against Konoha."

Chiriku smiled in unison with Asuma. "Ah yes. I had forgotten all about that. That particular listing came from your previous council members, Koharu and Homura, and is one they doled out to all members of the Twelve Guardians. Asuma himself has one of those on his name."

Frowning, Sasuke leafed through the book until he found Asuma's name, and a staggering thirty-five million ryo bounty. He tapped at the line for Sakura to see. "Asuma has the same reason."

"I assure you, we've done nothing to go against Konoha," Chiriku said. "That listing is based on an old vendetta Koharu and Homura, and Shimura Danzou had against my predecessors."

"I hate using the expression 'curiosity killed the cat,' but can you explain why?" Kiba asked, playing with one of his fangs as he leaned over the table to accept his Bingo Book back, eyes darting over the incriminating line.

Chiriku shared a look with Asuma. "I believe you're aware of the fact that we often acted as bodyguards for the Daimyou in times of war. During the foundation of Konoha, there were four clans that willingly joined Hashirama in the first step in creating his utopia; the Akimichi, the Aburame, the Hyuuga and the Uchiha. Together with the Senju, they formed an alliance to create Konoha and bring the war to an end."

"Despite the effort to work together, there was a lot of strife, even within the fledgling village itself. These clans had been fighting each other for centuries. That kind of pain isn't easily forgotten, nor is mistrust easily put aside," Chiriku continued. "During the beginning of the Second's reign, tension between Senju and Uchiha rose." He looked directly at Sasuke, gaze trailing over him before taking in Obito. "Tobirama, while a good man, had a deep mistrust in the Uchiha, born from seeing multiple siblings fall to the Uchiha and the unusual friendship that existed between Uchiha Madara and Hashirama."

Obito seemed familiar with this story, listening quietly, while Sasuke leaned forward with interest. "Why was their friendship unusual?"

Chiriku laughed. "I don't know the specifics, only what was told to me by my predecessors. Madara and Hashirama both became clan leaders of the two clans that hated each other most and managed to put aside their troubling past to create Konoha together. That they could do so should say something about the friendship between them, I believe. Or perhaps it says more about Hashirama's charisma and Madara's longing for peace. Either way, it worked."

Asuma scratched the back of his neck. "In any case, a few years after the Great First Shinobi war, the Twelve Guardians were called to Konoha and entrusted with what we know as Tobirama's Legacy. The Second completely bypassed any council, including the village elders and their apprentices, and asked the Twelve Guardians to safeguard his Legacy." He made a wry smile. "In time, Koharu and Homura believed that Tobirama had hidden something dangerous from them. They contacted the Twelve Guardians and when they refused to share what had been given to them, Koharu and Homura ensured that all Twelve, including all their successors would immediately be added to the Bingo Book as traitors to Konoha."

"I never knew that," Obito said, scratching his chin.

Asuma grinned at him. "Can't give you all my secrets, Uchiha."

"Good to know you're able to keep one, Sarutobi."

"So… Do you know what it is?" Sasuke asked Chiriku.

"Tobirama's Legacy? Oh yes," Chiriku said. "I was curious why I had barely passed as an apprentice and already a large bounty had been placed on my head. These last fifty years or so, Tobirama's Legacy has been kept, its true identity only known to those who joined our ranks."

"Asuma-sensei, do you know?" Sakura asked out of interest.

Asuma nodded. "Yes. An interesting position to be in. I joined the Twelve when I was young and rebellious and rejoined Konoha a few years later. I know the secret, but like the rest of the Twelve, it is something I'll take with me to my grave."

"Why tell us?" Kiba asked, scratching Akamaru behind his ear. "If it's such a big secret?"

"Amongst Konoha clans, it's an open secret. In fact, Uchiha Fugaku has made the trip here more than once to officially demand for the Legacy to be handed over in name of one of the Noble Four clan's names." Asuma said, a smile forming on his face as he looked at Sasuke. "He hasn't made a journey since Koharu and Homura died, however. Hisao and Junko both deemed the Legacy to be a myth and dismissed it. In time it will fade into obscurity."

"Might as well tell us what it is in that case," Kiba said brashly.

"Curious, hm?" Asuma said, slapping Chiriku's shoulder with a hearty laugh. "Chiriku can always use strapping young shinobi to join the Twelve Guardian's rank." He belted out another laugh as Kiba's face soured.

"It's time for dinner soon. I'll check in with the kitchen. Asuma, I'll count on you to instruct our new friends," Chiriku said, standing from his place. He collected the empty teacups and stepped into his shoes, calmly strutting to one of the distant complexes. Asuma looked after him with a fond smile before turning to them.

"We've set up a perimeter watch," he began, plucking a scroll from his pouch. As he unrolled it, Team Seven sat up straight to look at the map. "Here and here," he pointed. "These Akatsuki members have been spotted using only the roads to traverse the Fire Country and they seem to be in no hurry. If they'll continue their trajectory, they'll be here by night; possibly morning if they decide to get a beauty sleep first."

"Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru all have their own team of chuunin standing watch. Our mission is to keep the temple safe and above all, keep the monks safe; both the civilians and members of the Twelve. As you're our back-up, feel free to look around the temple and sleep in shifts. If anything happens, I trust you to work as a team and, well, back us up."

"Got it," Obito said. He frowned at Asuma. "Have you stopped smoking?"

Instinctively, Asuma's hand rose to his lips, as though to grab a cigarette that was no longer there. A second later, he burst into a radiant smile, his sun-kissed cheeks turning red. "Oh… that. I haven't had time to tell you. Kurenai and I… we're expecting a baby."

* * *

_ **A/N:** _ _ I swear Otherworld is one of the most complicated fan fictions I ever got to write simply because of the fact I'm altering history and I'm inserting so much more stuff into it that it's hard to keep up with the four or five different plotlines that I'm weaving through, but it's so much fun!_

_So. Tobirama's Legacy? Place your bets! Winner gets… something, I suppose. ;-)_

_A huge thank you for all your wonderful responses. I'm literally overwhelmed by the amount of love you're sending me for each chapter. I know a lot of you are looking forward to seeing more of Akatsuki!Kakashi and he'll be back very soon. Otherworld is currently slated for at least thirty chapters so rest assured there is much more to come. But first, more world building!_


	5. Chapter 4

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

The sun rose as a canopy of gold, bright amid blue, over the Fire Temple. Sakura kept vigilant watch as the darkness surrendered, colors bleeding into the charcoal night. Obito sat on one of the temple roofs, quietly watching the sun rise. He seemed tense, and no wonder; they had expected an attack before the night was over. Instead, the quiet hung over them like a blanket, slowly smothering them.

She stood from her place, lolling her head in a circle while giving her shoulders a wiggle. Stretching her legs, Sakura leapt to the roof where Obito was sitting and sat down beside him. He glanced over his shoulder, lone eye sweeping over her, before turning back to the sun.

"Have you been up all night?" Sakura asked.

"Most of it, yes," Obito spoke. He frowned as he placed his elbows on his knees, staring out over the stretch of forest beyond the temple. "From what we know of Akatsuki thus far, I expected them to attack head-on. It's disconcerting that they've suddenly vanished from the area without attacking the temple for their bounty." He glanced at her. "The boys?"

"Sound asleep, though Sasuke should be up soon," Sakura said, tucking her hair behind her ear. She looked down to the prayer hall, where she spied the monks doing their morning prayer through the crack between the sliding doors. She remained quiet for a long moment. "Obito-sensei, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"A few days ago, I spoke to the Sixth, and he mentioned he found talking to his predecessors difficult… It kind of made me realize I barely know anything of the Third, or Fourth for that matter. Considering you were the Fourth's student, I was wondering if you could tell me about him."

"Minato-sensei?" Obito mused quietly. "The Minato-sensei I remember differs vastly from the man everyone else remembers as the Fourth Hokage," he said finally, eye a million miles away. "He was brilliant and hands-down the best shinobi I had ever seen. But one doesn't become the village leader without having a certain coldness in their hearts."

Furrowing her brows, Sakura looked up at that. "What does that mean?"

"If there is a way to describe it, it is shinobi rule 25; a shinobi must never show emotions in battle," Obito said with a humorless smile. "Sensei was indifferent to most things; even the most horrible things I had seen on the battlefield barely fazed him. He smiled when he had to, and to be honest, he probably cried when he was supposed to. To me, he simply felt like the best shinobi there was, total control of his emotions and his actions." He chuckled. "It's no wonder the Sixth had trouble talking to him. If I hadn't been in his team, I doubt I would have had any talks with him."

Sakura considered his words carefully. "It's strange how you can build up people in your mind and how they can be so different from what you expect them to be. I wonder how the First and Second Hokage were—really were."

"I used to think about this when I was a kid and wanted to become Hoka—"

He cut himself off, but Sakura had already turned to him, a large smile playing on her lips.

"You want to be Hokage, Obito-sensei?" she asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Wanted," he emphasized. "Wan-_ted_." Though he had turned away from her, Sakura spotted the tips of his ear turning bright-red. She giggled soundlessly at him before reigning in her mirth.

"So, what changed?"

Obito gave her a long look, sadness creeping into his eye along with a whole host of emotions that she could barely identify before they vanished, like the blackness of his eye sucked it all away. "I would compliment your astuteness, but you've been like this since you were a little kid," he said, causing her cheeks to heat. He let out a long sigh. "Hokage… To become Hokage is a young man's dream, or at least it was in my case."

"Why?" she pressed on.

"Why do people want to become Hokage?" Obito asked her.

"To protect the village and its people?" Sakura answered, then added after a pause: "Or power, I suppose."

"Correct."

"So, have you stopped wanting to protect people?"

Obito let out a quiet chuckle. "No. But I have come to the conclusion that I can't protect everyone, always. I'm not my sensei—the deaths of my friends and comrades during the last war nearly broke me." Sadness washed over his face, deepening the scarred lines and tissue, but through it all, Obito smiled at her. "I'm content being your sensei and keeping the three of you safe and seeing you thrive."

Unable to stop herself, Sakura wrapped an arm around him, giving him a quick hug. He stiffened instantly, like he always did, but relaxed enough to drop a hand on her head. "You're a kind girl, Sakura." He paused. "Or rather, woman."

"You're a kind man, sensei," Sakura shot back at him, distracted as Asuma stepped into the courtyard beneath them. He waved at them, grabbing his pack of cigarettes before frowning at them, tucking the packet away again.

"Asuma," Obito greeted as Sakura stood to her feet. "No news?"

"I just got a report that one scout has heard signs of fighting deeper in the forest. They're checking it out now, but we should be ready to move as soon as we hear word," Asuma said, running a hand through his hair.

"Fighting?" Obito asked, eye focused on the forest. "Who are they fighting?"

"There are still a few more temples around here, a few roads that are being used by shinobi traversing to the southern countries, and a few roads that lead to civilian towns," Asuma said, pocketing his hands.

Obito nodded contemplatively. "I'll go check on the boys. Sakura, you might want to ask Asuma about the Third if you want to learn more about our illustrious leaders." She perked up at that, watching as Obito pointedly ignored the face Asuma made and hopped down the roof.

"From the look on your face, I'd say that's a bad idea Obito-sensei proposed," Sakura said carefully, jumping down to the courtyard. Asuma let out a rueful laugh, laying his hand on his neck.

"Why do you want to know more about the Third?" he asked.

Sakura shrugged. "I recently had a talk with the Sixth and it occurred to me I don't really know any of the previous Hokage, except for Tsunade-sama. I had a few chats with the Third, but that's it… I'm just curious." She observed him for a long moment. "He is your father, right? I only learned that after his death."

"He is. The Sarutobi clan thinned out greatly throughout the wars. After the old man died, it was just me and my brother, along with Konohamaru, of course."

"Your brother is still alive?" Sakura asked.

"He's not the type to show his face," Asuma said, scratching his forehead. "In any case; I wish I had good stories to tell, but to be frank with you, the old man and I didn't get along. He was a big factor in me leaving Konoha and joining the Twelve Guardians. We worked together when I grew older and rejoined the shinobi ranks, but we had some fundamental different ways of looking at the world that we never managed to overcome."

"Sorry for prying," Sakura said, nodding.

"No worries," Asuma replied. "It's only natural to be curious. Kages are public figures, but they're still shinobi. The ones closest to them will have known them. The rest of the village only sees what they want them to see."

She thought on his words, weighing them for a long moment. Behind her, she could hear the heavy padding of Akamaru's paws as he ran up to her, the rest of her team following the big white dog. As she turned to greet Sasuke and Kiba, a scout appeared in the courtyard and made his way over to Asuma, whispering something to him.

"Good timing," Asuma said as the scout vanished. "Two Akatsuki members sighted near the temple west of here. They've run into one of our scout units, Aoba is handling it. There are a few chuunin teams from Konoha in the vicinity making their way to the surrounding towns for missions—we're sending out scouts to re-route them to a safer road while we take out Akatsuki."

"Understood," Obito said. "Shall we?"

Chiriku stepped around the corner, morning prayer seemingly over. He rearranged his robes and walked over, greeting them all. "They have sighted Akatsuki, I heard?" he asked Asuma.

"On our way now," Asuma said.

"Good luck," Chiriku said, his smile not touching his eyes.

A moment later, they rushed through the entrance of the Fire temple. Sakura watched as Asuma and Obito both took the lead, weaving through the forest with ease as they followed Akamaru's lead. The great hound bounded from branch to branch, the ancient wood springing back every time he leapt off. "Alright. Akatsuki duo number two?" Kiba said, eyes brimming with the special kind of excitement that only came to him just before battle. "We know it isn't Kakashi and Kisame, right?"

"They're unidentified as of yet," Sasuke spoke, a frown on his face.

"Asuma-sensei," Kiba called out, drawing the attention of the older jounin. "Do we have any information regarding the Akatsuki members?"

"Not a lot to go on. We know that the bodies found at the temples were heavily mutilated with what looks like a scythe, and that most of the temples have been obliterated by heavy hitting jutsu; enormous scorch marks, entire temples completely upheaved by the very ground they were built on, and so on. Assume this will be a ninjutsu and taijutsu heavy battle."

"Understood," the three of them said in unison.

"As it is, Team Seven is back up. Shikamaru and the rest of my team are on their way to the battlegrounds too. We'll take charge alongside Aoba's squad." Asuma peered over his shoulder directly to Sakura. "But to be frank, it will be a hard battle and other than Ino who knows only the bare essentials, we need a good medic."

Kiba suddenly perked up, just as Akamaru let out a soft howling noise. "Shit…" he mumbled under his breath. She could easily see his senses go haywire, nose twitching as he scouted out the environment using his finely tuned senses. Blood drained from his face as he turned to Obito. "Sensei," he called out, but at that exact moment, Sakura smelled it.

Blood. The hard, metallic scent of iron absolutely permeated the surrounding forest, the air around them so thick it was almost sticky. Years of working in the hospital had thankfully prepared her for the intense smell of blood, but even she had to resist the urge to balk at the pungent odor of it. Ahead of them, Asuma cursed loudly and stopped in his tracks as Akamaru ceased his leaps, whimpering softly into his paws.

"Kiba," Obito called out.

"I know, I know," Kiba said. "Three full teams—one to the south, near where I think the temple is. There is a second team near to them. I can smell Shikamaru and the others coming in from the opposite direction. They're fine." He paused, eyes wide. "And there's a team close by…" he ran off, ignoring Obito as he called after Kiba.

Without thought or doubt, Sakura sprinted after Kiba, following him to a clearing. Blood had been splattered all over the large rocks that lay scattered around the little meadow and spilled into the tiny stream that cut through. Kiba let out a shout, rushing up to someone who lay sprawled over a large rock—Itou Genrou.

Missing a leg and an arm, Genrou lay broken on the rock, eyes unseeing. There was a moment of terror that stilled her in her tracks as she looked at the man she had known since childhood, but she instantly forced down the wave of emotions that came over her, knowing instantly there was nothing she could do for him.

In the brook lay Hinata, hanging on to the bank with a weak hand. Beside her, Sasuke dashed toward her, carefully lifting her out of the water as Sakura took stock of her. '_Both arms broken, deep cuts on her arms and legs. Sweaty skin—shock. Respiration isn't normal. Looks like a collapsed lung,_' she diagnosed from a distance. "Sasuke, lay her down on her back and open her coat. I need you to keep her warm," she instructed to him, who followed her lead without question.

Behind Hinata, Sakura could see Shino's head sticking out from the line of trees; his face streaked with blood, sunglasses broken. Obito had landed in the clearing and followed her line of sight, dashing toward Shino together with Sakura.

The bottom half of his body was badly burned, the scent of burnt flesh acrid as Obito turned him to his back. "There's glass in his eye, but he's still breathing," Obito said as she arrived. Sakura knelt down beside him, allowing her chakra to pool over a particularly large cut in his chest.

'_There's a large shard of glass in his eye_,' she thought as she took in the damage done. '_He will lose that eye. Heavy burn wounds, but they'll heal. Two broken ribs._' A realization came upon her. Looking up, Sakura scouted around the clearing and found what she was looking for just as Asuma did.

"Kurenai!" he howled, scrambling to run up to the woman. She lay lifelessly in the middle of what looked to be a ritualistic circle, a large black rod protruding from her stomach. Her raven hair contrasted starkly against the crimson pool of blood that had gathered around her.

She watched as the two older jounin sprinted to Kurenai, a faint beeping sound resonating in her ears as she recalled Asuma's smile when he told them Kurenai was pregnant.

* * *

Uchiha Itachi didn't look up as his office door opened and closed again without someone knocking. Frankly, there was only one person brash enough to still walk into the Hokage's office without having the common decency to announce himself. Funny how the rules of etiquette that had been instilled within him since his youngest days suddenly were obsolete.

Steeling himself, Itachi leaned back in his chair and looked at his father.

"Good morning," he greeted, taking stock of Fugaku's appearance. The new uniforms they had designed and implemented throughout the ranks suited every shinobi nicely, but they gave Fugaku a distinguished look that suited the sharp cut of his jaw and his greying hair. A blue band on his bicep showed his special rank of head of police.

"Itachi," Fugaku spoke. "We need to talk."

"Yes," he simply said, waiting.

"Sector B. The Uchiha elders and I have considered the situation and agree that a move of our district from G to B would be best for the clan."

He saw it coming from miles away, yet he couldn't help but be surprised at Fugaku's tenacity and bullheadedness. Truly, had the man never hear the word 'no' before? "No."

The corners of Fugaku's mouth dropped into his characteristic full-face frown. "I don't think you heard me."

"No, I've heard you. And the answer is no."

"Damn it, Itachi," Fugaku said, slamming his hands onto the desk. From all around him, Itachi could feel the elevated chakra levels of his ANBU guard, telling him they were ready to jump in if necessary. Fugaku felt the same, his dark eyes darting to the windows behind him, before settling down back on his son. "The Uchiha clan is the only one clan assigned to the farthest reaches of the city."

"The Nara clan is farther away," Itachi argued.

"The Nara clan owns the stretch of forest to the south of the village and safeguards the entire zone." Fugaku paused, watching him, unblinking. "The Uchiha clan was moved to sector G after the Nine Tails attacked Konoha. It was a clear attempt to single the entire clan out as perpetrators and smear our name."

"I am very aware of the reason why our clan was moved to Sector G and the systemic oppression the Uchiha clan has faced," Itachi whispered, turning his chair to look out the window. Holding up a hand, he felt his personal guard disappear from the area, leaving the two of them alone. "Those times are over."

Anger flashed behind Fugaku's eyes. "Those times are never over, Itachi. A single generation isn't enough to forget the distrust and animosity regarding us. Moving our clan back to where it belongs would go a long way for people to begin accepting us."

"Would it?" Itachi questioned.

Fugaku fell silent.

"You're correct. A few years won't change the way this village feels toward the Uchiha clan," he continued, feeling more tired than he had felt in years. "But forcibly moving the whole clan back into the village center itself without a reason will look like we're attempting to take control of the city—which is exactly what we agreed we wouldn't do."

"Ita—" Fugaku began, but Itachi held up his hand.

"The Hyuuga mistrust us, and that is something that won't go away easily. The more we work together to realize the plans set in motion when the First set out to create a village of cooperation, the more they'll come to realize Uchiha desire for the exact same thing as the rest of the village."

"And in the meantime, we're to rot in a forgotten district while Hiashi looks at us as if we're pests?"

"Yes," Itachi said, standing to his feet. He studied his father for a long moment. "As chief of police, you have more power now than you did while holding the same position under the Third and Fifth Hokage. I am the first Uchiha Hokage. Civilians and shinobi alike are visiting our district again, and we're no longer treated as outcasts. But change, true change, takes time."

His father said nothing, simply observed him before dropping into a chair, massaging his temples between thumb and forefinger. Eventually, he looked up, looking older than Itachi ever saw him before. "Your resemblance to your mother is uncanny."

That was unexpected. "I'll take it as a compliment," Itachi said, slowly sitting down in his chair again.

Fugaku leaned back, crossing his legs. "It is. Diplomatic, but unwilling to back down."

"Uchiha are a stubborn sort," Itachi said, the corner of his mouth lifting.

"Evidently," Fugaku said. "We'll remain in Sector G."

"The Uchiha elders?"

"I'll handle them."

Itachi nodded. "Thank you."

Fugaku took a moment to look at him. "I know this might be hard to understand—but time… time is something abstract. It is something we've been waiting both patiently and impatiently on and we're eager to make a change now that you are Hokage." He stood from his chair and circled around it, glancing at Itachi over his shoulder. "Don't forget the sacrifices we made to get you where you are."

"How could I forget?" Itachi whispered.

Something passed behind his father's eyes, something that he hadn't seen since his youngest years. But just as Fugaku opened his mouth to speak, an urgent knock came at the door. "Enter," he called.

Izumi stuck her head inside, eyes wide. "Itach—Hokage-sama, there was an attack near the Fire temple. Team 8 has been caught in a surprise attack and has been transferred to the hospital. It seems Itou Genrou lost his life and both Hyuuga Hinata and Yuuhi Kurenai are in critical conditions."

"We'll resume our talk another day," Itachi said to his father, his hands moving in a flurry of seals to teleport himself to the hospital. One of the nurses manning the station looked up, surprised to find him there. "Report."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," she rushed around the desk, guiding him into the intense care unit. She stopped in front of the first operating room. Glancing in through the windows, he watched as Hinata lay in the middle with Shizune leading the operation. "Hyuuga Hinata; collapsed lung, multiple lacerations, and a broken hand. She's lost a lot of blood and has gone into shock. Shizune-san is currently fixing her lung, and the broken ribs. She's in critical condition, but she'll pull through. We've notified Hyuuga Hiashi."

"Well done," Itachi commented, following her to the next room. He peered in just as one surgeon pulled a shard of glass from Aburame Shino's eye.

"Aburame Shino; according to the surgeon he has lost his eye… The Aburame have a special symbiosis with healing properties that kept him from losing his life. He has lost a lot of blood, Sakura-san kept him alive by feeding him blood pills. Shino-kun is also in critical condition. We must replenish his blood and keep him in a comatose state while he recovers."

The nurse hurried to the final chamber. Inside, he watched as Haruno Sakura shouted instructions at multiple medics while one of her arms was lodged elbow-deep in Kurenai's chest, applying chest-compressions directly to her heart. "Yuuhi Kurenai," the nurse breathed. "Broken arms and legs. Sakura-san found her with a large rod pierced through her. Kurenai-san has lost a lot of blood and is in critical condition…" There were words the nurse did not speak, but Itachi knew enough.

He silent stood as Sakura continued pumping, blood smeared on her cheeks that contrasted starkly against the pink of her hair. "Itou Genrou?" he asked.

"Sakura-san could not save Itou-kun's life," the nurse mumbled. "The family has been notified, but they have mutilated him. We need to clean him up first before we can show him to his clan. And… there are more teams on the way. Raidou and Aoba are transporting them back to Konoha as we speak."

"I see," Itachi said, watching as Sakura's efforts became more desperate until the machine hooked onto Kurenai flat-lined and never started back up again.

* * *

"You did what you could."

She didn't ask how he found her, sitting on top of a flat rock that overlooked Nakano River. The Sixth's soft voice was a balm to the myriad of emotions that raged through her, but she didn't dare look up to meet his gaze. She didn't want him to see her tear-streaked cheeks. It had been a long time since she had lost a patient.

And longer still since she lost two.

Instinctively, she hugged her knees closer to her. "Fifty-nine seconds."

"What was that?" Itachi said, closing the distance between them.

"Fifty-nine seconds between me arriving at the scene and me finding Kurenai-sensei," Sakura said hoarsely. She looked over her shoulder, finding him standing quietly behind her, his dark eyes soft as he observed her without speaking. "I forgot. Tsunade-sama's rule; take stock of the injuries and heal the ones in critical condition first. I forgot about Kurenai-sensei."

"You did what you could," Itachi repeated, laying a hand on her shoulder. The warmth of it seeped sweetly into her skin, even through the fabric of her clothes. "Fifty-nine seconds might not have made a difference."

"Time means all the difference in the world sometimes, Hokage-sama."

He was quiet for the longest time. "I know."

* * *

_ **A/N:** _ _ Well… You all asked me not to kill Asuma… So I didn't?_

_*scratches neck*_


	6. Chapter 5

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

The sun shone brilliantly when they held the funeral service for Yuuhi Kurenai and Itou Genrou, the verdant color of the spring day under its glare offensively bright and cheerful. She stood still as she listened to the Sixth as he spoke of Kurenai, from her time as an elite jounin kunoichi to her time as a teacher to Team 8.

Her heart wrenched at the thought of Team 8.

Shino and Hinata both were still comatose. The coroner cleaned Genrou enough for the clan to come see him, and like a pack of wolves, they had refused to leave his side until the very end. Even now, they stood close to where his coffin was. Genrou's mother, Aya, held his little sister as she cried incessantly, but there were no tears in Aya's eyes—they burned with rage as they swept over the lifeless body of her son.

Asuma stood in the middle of the crowd, Konohamaru beside him. The gangly teenager wrapped an arm around his uncle's shoulders, but like Aya, he didn't cry. Asuma had lit a cigarette, but never brought it to his lips. Instead, he rolled it between thumb and forefinger until it singed his finger, promptly dropping it to the ground.

Sasuke moved, drawing her attention. His dark gaze swept over her in what she recognized as veiled concern. Struggling to lift the corners of her mouth, Sakura flashed him what she hoped to be a reassuring smile and turned back to the Hokage as he concluded his eulogy and placed a flower in both caskets.

He laid a hand on Asuma's shoulder and nodded respectfully to the Itou clan, before stepping back, allowing the attending shinobi to pick up flowers of their own to say their final goodbyes. He stood still, looking up to the carved faces that overlooked the village. The red and white coat that he wore over his standard uniform billowed in the wind.

Just as she was about to avert her eyes, Itachi looked directly at her. Even from this distance, the warmth in his gaze was easy to spot. She flashed him a smile of appreciation. After the surgery was over and she had lost Kurenai, he had stayed beside her on the riverbank and comforted her while she waited for the world to swallow her whole, going far beyond what she expected from any Hokage.

He nodded at her, a tiny smile on his lips before he turned from her, his attention drawn by another attendee. She trailed behind Kiba and Sasuke as they left their flowers in Genrou's casket first before moving on to Kurenai. Sakura exhaled as she looked into the coffin, wordlessly apologizing to both Kurenai and her unborn child.

Kiba stepped up to them, straightening his black clothes. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he said distractedly. "Once…" he began, turning to Kurenai's coffin as they closed it off. "Once, I had a talk with Kurenai. She told me that Genrou and I originally were planned for different teams—Genrou for Seven, and I was to join Team 8. We're both the sensory types of shinobi, right? But they thought I'd be a better fit for Seven and Hinata and Shino would be a good match for Genrou." He stayed still. "I—I didn't actually hate him, you know. We were just…"

"Too much alike?" she filled in.

"Yeah."

She wrapped her arm around him in a quick hug, which he quietly reciprocated. "Do you feel like sparring in the forest? I seriously need to blow off some steam."

"Training grounds 1 in an hour," Sasuke said from behind her. He disappeared in a flurry of leaves.

"Man of few words," Kiba chuckled. "See you there?"

"Meet you there in an hour."

* * *

Exhausted, the three of them lay silently in the grass, heads together, while Akamaru darted around them, barking at every little butterfly he spotted. She looked to her right to find Kiba with his dirt-covered hands in his hair, sweat dripping down his temples as he drew in ragged breaths. From this angle, it almost looked like he was crying.

Sasuke to her left was breathing deeply and steadily, dark eyes looking up at the vast azure sky above him. Following his example, Sakura lay there for a long while as clouds scuttled across the blue firmament, acknowledging Shikamaru definitely had a point; watching clouds was a fantastic way to pass the time.

"Could that have been us? If we had been sent out on a mission like Team 8?"

The boys remained quiet. "No," Sasuke said decisively.

"Why not?"

"We're stronger," Kiba replied evenly, as though he tried his hardest to convince himself. "Obito-sensei –"

"Is stronger than Kurenai-sensei?" Sakura finished for him, firmly pushing away the onslaught of memories of her desperate attempt to keep Kurenai alive as they made back for Konoha. Asuma who held Kurenai's hand without letting go, assisting Sakura with a wild look in his eye as he witnessed his wife and child's life fade away one heartbeat at a time. "What if… What if Akatsuki is too much for us to handle?"

The rustle in the grass informed her both men had turned to her, but she didn't face either of them, following the blackbirds that circled overhead.

"Sakura…" Kiba began skeptically. "Obito-sensei is strong."

"Is he as strong as Kakashi?" Sakura asked quietly. "He took us off-guard alongside Kisame and we were prepared for him."

"There is a difference between being ready for battle and being ready to face a past ghost," Sasuke spoke. "He'll be ready next time." With a quiet huff, Sasuke sprang to his feet, dusting off some muck and grass from his pants. "We should be too."

"Easier said than done, Sasuke," Kiba groused.

"Then train harder, idiot."

Kiba tossed a clump of dirt to Sasuke, which he neatly dodged, lifting an eyebrow as if to taunt Kiba. Sasuke opened his mouth, but found himself interrupted as something echoed from further down the forest. A loud creaking sound came, accompanied by the telltale rustling of a tree falling over. The three of them alongside Akamaru stood, watching as the tree toppled over in the distance.

They shared a look and crept toward the disturbance, finding Asuma and Shikamaru in a clearing near them. On top of a cut-off stump was a shogi set, abandoned, while Shikamaru stood beside Asuma, hands pocketed.

"Let it out," Shikamaru spoke.

Asuma balled his fist, gritting his teeth so hard the cigarette between his lips snapped. He spat out the part still in his mouth even as he shook with rage. "Let it out, Asuma," Shikamaru repeated. "Let out all the sadness, anger and fear building within you right now. That's the first step."

Asuma ducked his head, something dripping onto the grass between his feet. Feeling like she intruded on a private moment that one should never catch another jounin in, Sakura seized both men and escorted them back into the forest, just in time to hear Asuma bellow in rage and anguish.

They were solemn as they grabbed their gear. As Sasuke vanished from the area, Kiba reached out to grab her arm. His sun-kissed cheeks reddened. "Sakura…" he began searching for words.

"I will take a shower and visit the hospital afterwards. I'll let you know how she's doing," Sakura replied with a smile. He ducked his head, nodding his shaggy mane, and thanked her before rushing off along with Akamaru. She stood in the clearing for a long time by herself, fighting the tears that burned in the corner of her eyes.

* * *

Elated, Sakura ran up the hospital stairs two steps at a time. Upon arrival, one of her nurses had informed her Hinata had woken up. Hyuuga Hiashi was visiting his daughter, but it would do Sakura much good to see the Hyuuga alive and well.

Arriving on the second floor, Sakura took a left to where Hinata's room was located and stepped inside to find Hinata sitting upright in her bed, eyes downcast. Hiashi stood beside the bed, arms folded as he regarded his eldest daughter before turning his pearly gaze to Sakura. "Hyuuga-san," Sakura said in greeting, trying her hardest to ignore the tension in the room. "Hinata, I'm happy to see you're awake."

"Haruno," Hiashi replied, but Hinata said nothing, clutching her white sheets in one hand.

The Hyuuga patriarch faced Hinata once more. "I see you've not changed. What a disappointment."

Sakura stood still, words eluding her as Hiashi looked upon his offspring. There was nothing in his eyes that conveyed even the slightest hint of joy at seeing his daughter still alive; no worry, no relief, only disapproval. "A Hyuuga does not lie down and give up while the rest of the team is being slaughtered. A true Hyuuga fights until the very end, until their enemy is defeated, or they are."

Hinata didn't move, the only evidence of her pain shown in the whiteness of her knuckles as she gripped her sheets harder. "Yes, father," she whispered, barely audible to Sakura.

"Are you saying she should have died, Hyuuga-san?" Sakura blurted out despite herself. She took a step closer, incredulous as Hiashi took stock of her over his shoulder. Sakura was no fool; she was well aware how the Hyuuga thought of her. The Fifth's assistant and protégé was someone who commanded most shinobi's respect, but the Hyuuga lived in their own bubble. "She had a collapsed lung, which makes it very hard to breathe, much less fight. You're lucky to still have your daughter."

Hiashi gave her a long look as he swept past her. "Am I?" he queried, departing. The click of the door falling into the lock resounded heavily within the silent room.

"I'm… sorry," Sakura offered weakly.

"Please don't be," Hinata replied, lifting her translucent eyes to meet Sakura's gaze. "Kurenai-sensei and Genrou-kun… they told me… Is it…?"

Sakura dropped her head.

"I see," Hinata breathed. "I'm sorry, Sakura-san, but I'd like to be alone if that's alright."

She pretended not to see how tears formed in Hinata's eyes, or how the corners of her mouth shook until she pursed her lips. She pretended not to hear the quiet little sob that came from the hospital bed as she shut the door behind her, or the soft wail that followed even through the closed door. Quietly, she leaned against the door, letting her fingers touch the cool wood as she breathed in deeply.

The Aburame clan was a secretive one, so it was no wonder she only recognized Shino's father in the waiting area. She peered through the window, watching Shino's chest rise and fall, the steady beeping of the machine he was hooked on to a reassurance that he was stable for now.

"Sakura," Sasuke's voice drifted to her. He hurried down the hall to her, dressed in his jounin attire and battle gear. "Sixth is calling us to the administration building. There is a new mission."

"Already?" Sakura asked incredulously.

"Akatsuki," Sasuke said in response.

She fell silent as she trailed after the Uchiha, following him down the stairs onto the busy Konoha streets. "Again?" Sakura said finally as they made their way through the swathes of people crowding the marketplace.

"Again," Sasuke affirmed.

"Do you think it's the ones we were supposed to catch in the Fire temple?"

"Maybe," Sasuke answered. "There are multiple Akatsuki teams roaming around. I understand Mist is still in a blackout since the bombing incident."

She gave him a sidelong glance. A hint of frustration colored his voice. Sasuke abhorred not being able to see the bigger picture, especially now that his older brother was Hokage. "Do you think Kiba is alright?" she questioned, changing the subject.

"Who knows with that idiot," Sasuke said. He paused, pouted and turned from her. "He'll be fine."

"Yeah," Sakura replied, clasping her arms behind her. "He will be."

"Sakura…" Sasuke began, the tips of his ears red. She realized once more the Uchiha, though different families and people, somehow all resembled each other one way or another. "You did what you could."

She stopped in her tracks, causing Sasuke to look over his shoulder. He wasn't the comforting type, but there were a few moments sprinkled over the years that he would try to make her feel better through little gestures. She ducked her head and bit her lip, before reaching out to grab his one hand with both of hers.

"Sakura," Sasuke repeated, discomforted.

"Thank you, Sasuke-_kun_," she said sweetly, emphasizing the suffix. As expected, his cheeks turned a little redder, but to her infinite surprise, he didn't immediately extract himself from her grip. As she squeezed his palm a little, he looked away, but she didn't miss the hint of a smile that played on his lips before she let go of him.

"Took you long enough," Obito said as they reached the Sixth's office. He stood in the middle of the hallway, one hand on his hip while the other scratched behind Akamaru's ears. Kiba sat slouched in a chair, drumming his fingers on the seat.

She muttered a quick apology and followed Obito as he knocked on the door and the Sixth called them in. Instead of finding Itachi at his desk as always, he stood at the window, overlooking the village with his arms behind his back. Beside the desk stood a familiar man.

"Orochimaru!" Kiba exclaimed, only to hiss a moment later as Obito yanked at his ear.

"Behave yourself, Inuzuka," Obito grumbled as a warning.

"Alright already," Kiba said furiously, his face heating.

"It's quite alright child," Orochimaru spoke, lips turned in a broad smirk. The legendary sannin looked them all over, his golden gaze sweeping over her. She met his inspection steadily, despite being a little awestruck. The few tales Tsunade had told her about her old team as well as the scientific progress Orochimaru had made together with Tsunade had fascinated her for years.

The Sixth sat down. "Orochimaru has come to into possession of some vital clues regarding Akatsuki. The leader of the capital in the Country of Rivers has knowledge pertaining to their goals. It seems they are looking for seven individuals."

"Seven?"

"That is what my sources say," Orochimaru said, walking to the large windows. "However, who these people were remained a mystery until one of my spies uncovered some valuable information." Orochimaru cocked his head. "The leader of the Country of River has ties to Akatsuki. He is scouring the world in search of these seven people."

"Why River?" Kiba asked.

"It's perfect," Sakura replied, considering. "River is a neutral country. They're not tied to any shinobi government, so it's easy for shinobi to pass through on their way to the other countries."

"Not to mention its strategic location between Wind, Fire and Rain," Obito continued.

"Kuromaru Junpei, leader of River," Orochimaru said, sliding a slip of paper to them. A picture of a stern-looking man in a snappy suit printed in color was paper clipped to a sheet with Kuromaru's contact information, home address and other vital intelligence. "Though connected to Akatsuki, Kuromaru likes to play his cards close to the chest. According to my sources, he has identified and localized all seven of the people Akatsuki is looking for, but is withholding information from Akatsuki hoping to leverage something in return."

"Good old blackmail," Obito said with a sigh, while Kiba grinned beside him.

"Incidentally, that is your mission," the Sixth spoke, folding his hands together over his desk. "Infiltrate the offices of Kuromaru and find the documents. If we outwit Akatsuki here, we might just be able to piece together who they're looking for and what their aim is—even before they themselves know who they're seeking."

"How can they not know who they're searching for?" Kiba spoke.

Orochimaru's smirk increased at that, while Itachi reclined in his chair, leaving no doubt in her mind that both men already had their suspicions; they just needed Team Seven and the list to confirm them. "Find the list and bring it back."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the four of them said.

"Dismissed."

* * *

In the distance, he watched Team Seven as they readied themselves for departure. Obito was only a black blot under the midday sun, but even now he spotted him gesticulating furiously at the young Inuzuka member. He couldn't help but smile at that.

Beside Obito stood Sakura, pink hair brilliant in the sunlight. She looked to be doing better today, despite the funeral. He was glad for it—after their conversation at Nakano River; he worried about her wellbeing, but it seemed she was more than capable bouncing back, even from the worst of things. An admirable trait for a kunoichi.

He found that she had sunk deeper under his skin than he had ever imagined possible. Sleep didn't come to him easily these days, but he had laid awake for hours after they had parted ways, staring at his ceiling as he thought of her sad smile and the conversation they had regarding her life with Team Seven and later as Tsunade's apprentice.

She had allowed him to help her up at the end of the night, her small but surprisingly strong hand sliding into his caused lightning to spark through his veins in a way he had never experienced before. Not even during his brief childhood crush on Izumi.

A knock came at the door.

"Enter."

"Hokage-sama," Izumi stepped inside with a wide smile.

Inwardly, he returned the smile. '_Speak of the devil._'

"You cut your hair," Itachi said, noticing how her hair now came to just below her shoulders. Surprised, she looked up to meet his gaze and delicately tucked a strand behind her ear, blushing lightly.

"I did… I thought it was time for a new look," Izumi said, closing the distance between them. She cleared her throat. "We received a notice from the Wind country. The Kazekage has announced his desires to visit you for a face-to-face conference regarding the Akatsuki threat."

His brow pinched in a frown. "When?"

"They're already on their way."

"I see common courtesy is out the window."

Izumi let out a short, tinkling laugh. "They're due in two days. Would you like me to make the necessary arrangements? I'll try to book them the customary hotel and restaurants."

"Thank you, Izumi," he said gratefully.

"I'll get started," she replied, hurrying from his office.

* * *

"Is it me or is this almost too easy?" Kiba asked her.

"Well, our target is a civilian without shinobi bodyguards. That makes this a lot easier."

"Ha," Kiba boasted. "Easy? I could handle this by myself."

"Idiot," Sasuke hissed from behind her. "Be quiet."

"Who are you calling an idiot, asshole?" Kiba shot back, reaching back in an attempt to hit Sasuke.

"Kiba, if you don't remove your arm right this moment I swear I will break it."

"You wouldn't, Sakura,"

"Don't tempt me."

He withdrew his hand.

"Guard incoming," Kiba said, experimentally sniffing the air. "Obito-sensei is still on the sixth floor."

They shifted back into the shadows of the dank little hallway they were currently hiding in, waiting as two loud bodyguards sauntered through the corridor, discussing their conquests of the week. "Any more guards?" Sasuke questioned.

"No," Kiba reported. "We're clear."

"Three rooms left to scout—two on this floor on opposite ends of the building and one below," Sasuke recounted. "I'll take the one in the farthest corner, Sakura takes the one closest, Kiba goes one floor down."

"Who died and made you captain?"

"Common sense, idiot."

"Sasuke, you asshole!"

"Enough," she hissed, grabbing Kiba's ear who began whimpering instantly. She had nearly moved to do the same to Sasuke, but he folded his arms over each other and regarded her with a blank look that told her not to pull the same stunt with him. "The two of you are jounin and professional enough to make it through one mission without fighting each other, no matter how easy it seems. It's a vital mission against Akatsuki and I will break every bone in your bodies if we mess this up." She paused. "For Kurenai and Genrou."

That sobered Kiba up. "For Kurenai-sensei and Genrou," he mumbled, before picking his way out of the hallway, down the stairs. Sasuke nodded at her and headed to the other side of the building. Breathing in, Sakura turned the corner and began making her way to the end of the corridor, turning left into another passage.

She moved quiet as a mouse, looking for the door Orochimaru had outlined in his brief. As she reached a large, heavy wooden door, Sakura knelt beside it, rifling through her pocket to find her lock-picking tools. Blowing a few loose strands of hair from her face, Sakura set to work until she heard the satisfying soft click of the door opening.

A loud pair of voices came from just around the corner. Feeling her heart beat in her throat, Sakura slipped through the door, carefully closing it behind her. A large desk dominated the room, as well as the stately wooden cabinets that reached the ceiling. '_I thought Kiba was bad at interior decorating but this beats everything_,' she thought, shaking her head as she made her way to the desk, meticulously breaking open lock by lock.

Every drawer contained multiple files and documents, but all of them pertained to travel documents and other documents that did not help her cause. Running her hands around the side of the drawer, she checked for hidden compartments, finding none. She sat up, listening carefully, before removing one of the drawers, checking the backside of the desk.

As her fingers brushed against a slip of paper, her breath caught. She swiped against it once more, this time grabbing onto it with the very tips of her digits. "Come on," she whispered to it as she gave the paper a careful tug, pressing her cheek against the wood as she reached further inside and finally pulled it free.

With a deep exhale, she withdrew the paper. It was tiny and just showed six numbers.

'_A code?_' she thought, sitting on her haunches.

Frustrated, she placed the drawers back in the desk, clutching the code in her hand as she moved onto the cabinets. Just as she opened the first door, a loud sound came from outside the office. Without thinking, Sakura leapt behind the desk, crouching down as she waited for whoever stood outside to hopefully pass by without stepping inside.

And that's when she noticed it.

A safe so small that she could have missed it had she not been forced to duck to the ground, was hidden between the shelves of the bookcase. As the noise behind the door died down, Sakura reached for the safe and inputted the numbers with bated breath, every soft beep hazardous to her heartbeat. The safe clicked open, revealing a few rolled up documents and a miniscule list of names so innocuous that she had almost overlooked it entirely.

'_Seven names_,' she thought, counting them and taking stock of the countries listed next to the names. Most of them were in shinobi territory. '_This is it_,' she thought with elation, a smile breaking out on her face…

… Until the moment she noticed someone on the other side of the door.

They had made no sound—the only sign they were there was the slightly elevated chakra, but even so it was so insignificant that nobody but a sensor-type like her would have picked up on it. Her mouth dry, Sakura stuck the list into her pocket and leapt for one of the cabinets, closing the door just as the door to the office creaked open.

Through the tiniest crack between both doors, Sakura spied the telltale black and red coat of Akatsuki sweep through the entrance. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, mouth dry as she kept as still as a mouse, suppressing her chakra to the fullest.

As silently as she could, she withdrew the slip of paper from her pocket.

"Come out."

The voice was quiet, dangerous, but also hauntingly familiar.

* * *

"Hokage-sama," Genma spoke, voice muffled by porcelain. Itachi signaled for him to continue. "The Kazekage is five minutes away."

Itachi rolled up the scroll he had been studying and sealed it with a tap of his finger. He shot into his overcoat and picked up his hat as he circled around his desk and strode through his office. His ANBU retinue heeled him, though he was glad to see they were well-hidden. The Kazekage could sense them, but he was generally satisfied when his guards wouldn't be in sight.

"Two minutes," Genma said as he exited the building. Shooting a glance over his shoulder, he found the taller man shrugging apologetically as he disappeared into the surrounding foliage. With a burst of speed, Itachi raced over the rooftops to the entrance gate, hitting the pavement and surprising both Izumo and Kotetsu with a few seconds to go.

"Hokage-sama," they both yelped in unison, jumping from their seats.

"Please, sit," Itachi said just as three people appeared in the gate.

The Kazekage stood in the middle, face obscured by his green and white hat, robes flowing as a gust of wind picked up. Beside him stood two jounin—Baki he had seen before during one of the Chuunin exams. The other was ambassador Yuura.

"Hokage-sama," the Kazekage spoke, his soft-spoken voice belying his intense demeanor. "Right on time, I see," he continued, plucking his hat from his head. Running pale fingers through his red hair, the Kazekage met his gaze, brown eyes dreamy as always.

"I know you appreciate people being on time, Kazekage-sama," Itachi said in response, reaching out to grasp his hand in greeting, surprised by the cool touch of the Kazekage's palm. "It's good to see you, Sasori of the Red Sand."

* * *

_ **A/N:** _ _ I've gotten so many questions regarding Naruto these last few weeks. The sharp readers might have already have found a clue regarding our favorite loud-mouth shinobi. But you know, I can't give away everything at once. There is a LOT more to uncover and for a fiction this size, there is a lot of world-building going on too._

_I hope everyone is staying safe. Covid-19 has taken over most of the world and our daily lives in just a few weeks and it's been a really intense and hectic period. Please be careful when going out, think of social distancing no matter how serious it looks in your country and wash those hands._


	7. Chapter 6

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

* * *

She ignored the shaking of her hand as she read the list of names before balling up the paper and swallowing it whole. Bracing herself, Sakura pushed at the doors, watching as Hatake Kakashi came into view. He stood in the middle of the office, hands pocketed and Sharingan blazing in his right eye as ever, silver hair rumpled.

Swallowing to clear the lump in her throat, Sakura climbed out of the cabinet and squared her shoulders. She forced herself to look him straight in the eye, reminded that he was the first adversary in her life that she had so much prior knowledge of, not just as a shinobi, but as a human being. Once, he had been Obito's friend and a fellow shinobi from the village hidden in the leaves.

"Where is it?" Kakashi asked her, voice a low drawl.

"Where is what?" she responded.

He exhaled, turning further toward her. "Sakura," he said with the impatience of a teacher getting ready to lecture his student. "Where is it?"

"I haven't found it."

"You're a terrible liar."

"Better a liar than a traitor," Sakura declared.

His brow pinched in a slight frown, his slate-grey eye a great contrast against the crimson of the Sharingan. Obito's eye—the one he had given willingly to his friend when he thought he was about to die. '_He changed his mind though_,' she thought, remembering Obito's story. '_He had left them both to die but turned around to help Obito-sensei, anyway._'

"Final warning," Kakashi warned, though he did not move.

"How did you notice I was here?" Sakura asked, postponing the inevitable. By now, Kiba had picked up on Kakashi's scent and would have tipped off the rest of her team. Kakashi was faster than any other shinobi she had ever seen before, but she was specialized in avoiding attacks.

The look in his eye told her he knew what she was up to.

In an instant, he was beside her, holding her against the cabinet as his razor-sharp kunai pressed against her throat. She ceased breathing, unwilling to cut herself as her mind went into overdrive, determining the best way of getting out of his grip. Though she was not weak without her chakra, there was no escaping the steel traps that were Kakashi's hands.

"Did you destroy it?"

"Yes," Sakura replied, looking him straight in the eye.

He withdrew his kunai. Gritting her teeth, Sakura stepped out of his reach, accumulating chakra to her hands. Kakashi gave her an unimpressed look as he formed a seal pattern she had never seen before and slammed his palm to the ground. Jumping back as he summoned, Sakura braced herself for the coming battle, only to find a small pug to have appeared. It wore a blue cape that would have reduced her to giggles, if not for the severity of the situation.

"Yo, Kakashi," the dog spoke, holding up a paw in greeting.

"Find him," Kakashi said in return, watching as the dog came to standing with a deep sigh. The dog padded out of the room. He turned back to her.

"Who are you looking for?"

"There are more ways to gain the information I need other than the list you destroyed," Kakashi said, slipping his kunai into a pouch. He sounded almost bored with the trivialities of his mission, hands re-pocketed as he kept his half-lidded eyes on the door, but the intensity of him belied that apathy.

His tense (even if they were slouched) shoulders and accelerated breathing informed her of his state of mind. Kakashi was ready for a battle, even if he didn't seem interested in ending her life for destroying the list. She frowned at that. He hadn't hesitated when he came face-to-face with Kabuto, or Team Seven.

In the distance, she could hear a whine, and a faint clamoring. Kakashi said nothing, starting toward the door. "Aren't you going to kill me?" Sakura blurted out, stunned to see him walking away.

He turned to her. "No."

"Why not?" she pressed. "Afraid I won't be worth your while?"

Part of her was in awe with herself for goading him, but there was no other way. If he reached Kuromaru and tortured the information out of him, then Konoha's advantage in this budding war would be lost. There was little chance of them holding on to this slight lead as it was. The other factor that played into her opening her mouth was to satisfy her curiosity.

"I'm not in the business of killing medics," Kakashi spoke, his gaze on the green band around her arm. Something in his deadly gaze turned wistful for the barest of moments, before turning back to steel as he moved to leave.

She took a step forward. "Kakashi!"

A lock of silver hair fell over Obito's eye, obscuring it from her as he looked at her, his patience reaching its end. "There is a man in Konoha. When he isn't doing missions, he's running around the village, or scaling a rock wall with one hand tied behind his back… and sometimes he eats dango by himself," Sakura said, breathing shallowly. She prayed with fervor her hunch was correct. "I asked him once why he pushes himself to the limit, and he told me, with a smile on his face, that he is waiting for his Eternal Rival to come back home."

Kakashi's eye narrowed, recognition sparking in the grey depth.

Another bark came from the distance. Before she could say anything more, Kakashi slipped out and disappeared. Releasing her breath, Sakura sagged against the desk.

* * *

"The Yamazato has welcomed the Kazekage and his retinue," Izumi reported, handing him an itinerary. "They're set up with dinner with Junko-san and Hisao-san." She made a face. "He was not happy with you not being available to his beck and call, but I explained to him you have a village to run and can't shirk from your responsibilities just because he's deigned to pay us a surprise visit."

He lifted an eyebrow.

"A bit more diplomatically than that, of course," Izumi smiled.

"Thank you, Izumi. I'll be heading there as soon as I finish here."

No sooner had she departed from his office when a knock came. "Enter," he called.

Orochimaru slid into the room, closing the door behind him. "I see someone interesting has come to pay a visit," he said, a smirk on his lips as he made his way to the desk. "Be careful with that one."

"As careful as I am with you?" Itachi suggested, leaning back in his chair.

Orochimaru's grin widened. "Perhaps even more careful… Lest we forget what happened to the Third and Fourth Kazekage. I heard it was quite… theatrical." He seemed amused by his own joke.

"I trust there is another reason for your being here, other than menial gossip?"

Orochimaru chuckled. "I've contacted Tsunade as you requested. She was near the border, experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime winning streak. A most inauspicious of omens, or so she thinks. She's returning to Konoha, due in three days."

"Excellent," Itachi replied. "If there is nothing else, dismissed."

"I was hoping to be granted access to a laboratory, now that our esteemed Princess Tsunade is coming back."

"For what purpose?"

"Research."

"And what will you be researching?"

"The dead," Orochimaru said, crossing his arms. "During his lifetime, the Second had spent a lot of time on pathology to better understand chakra and the force it carries, and to create new techniques. Techniques, might I remind you, that were nigh impossible to recreate."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "For good reason; those techniques are all classified as forbidden."

"Which does not take away the fact that Konoha had thrived because of them and gained an advantage over villages with less scientifically inclined shinobi and leaders," Orochimaru spoke. "Consider this: Wood release has been all but lost since Hashirama's death. With the work Tsunade and I did to preserve his cells and to clone them, we can revive the technique, and many more like it."

"I repeat: for what purpose?"

"It is human nature that people won't realize the true nature of something unless they lose it," Orochimaru said, walking to the window. "Not to mention the fact that a broader knowledge of techniques, and, to be more specific, bloodline limits, would strengthen the village. How is it, for example, that Princess Tsunade cannot use Wood techniques despite being a direct descendant of Hashirama?"

"It is my understanding she does not have the chakra affinities required to produce the limit."

"Indeed. But how does it work? A Sharingan in that regards is easy to understand—Uchiha blood runs thick, and the Sharingan has prerequisites that, when met, change the structure of your brains." Orochimaru looked over his shoulder, licking his lips. "Easy to understand, but fascinating nonetheless."

"Your point, Orochimaru."

"Point being; can any Water and Earth user produce Mokuton provided they learn Hashirama's techniques? Now that Hashirama is dead, would someone have to reinvent Wood release? Or can we inject a person with cells and would those enable someone to become a Wood user?"

"Human experimentation."

"Research."

An urgent knock came to the door. "Enter."

Genma strode in, clad in his ANBU uniform, mask on. "Hokage-sama, you wanted us to notify you when they made their move. They're assembling now."

Itachi stood from his seat. "Get her. She'll be in the main building." Genma nodded, disappearing in a flurry of leaves. He reached for his white and red coat and spared Orochimaru a single look. "You're permitted a laboratory in the basement. A member of the Research Division will accompany you at all times."

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

"All your research is to be logged weekly and reported to me," Itachi continued, straightening the collar of his coat. "Last, and let me make this clear: no human experimentation. Your inquiry is permitted so long as it is theoretical and of benefit to the village."

Orochimaru cocked his head. "Understood."

Itachi watched as he disappeared.

"I don't trust him," Sarutobi Daisen mentioned, his monkey mask peeking around the doorframe.

"Neither do I," Itachi said, striding through the doorway. "Which is why we'll keep a close eye on him."

Daisen made an amused sound. "They're at the Southern Gate. Raidou is standing guard."

"Thank you," he said, forming the seal for a teleportation.

A second later, he appeared at Raidou's side.

"They're not all here, Hokage-sama," Raidou whispered, taking a knee. He gestured to a figure clad in black beside the gate. The dim light from the lit cigarette revealed Asuma's face.

"Who else is coming?" he asked, though he was sure he knew the answer.

"Itou Aya is en route, and Nara Shikamaru."

They waited in silence, watching Asuma as he blew rings of smoke. Finally, he spotted both Aya and Shikamaru walking to the gate. Itachi dismissed Raidou and made his way for the gate just as Asuma greeted the other two members of his team. "Asuma."

The Sarutobi looked over his shoulder. "I should have known. Not much escapes your attention, Hokage-sama."

"I would be a terrible Hokage if that were the case."

"You can't stop us," Aya spoke, balling her fist. She took a step into his direction. "Those bastards killed my son. I'll have their heads for this. Please understand, Hokage-sama."

He gave her a once-over. It didn't look like she had slept in days, the dark spots beneath her eyes marred by the crimson paint of her clan, two vertical stripes running from her eyes down her cheeks—the sign she had embarked on a vengeance mission. "Three of my top jounin leaving this village without permission to chase after a faceless enemy, with zero intel."

"When you put it like that, it sounds bad, Lord Sixth," Shikamaru spoke, pocketing his hands. "But Aya-san here is one of the top trackers in the village and she packs a mean punch. Asuma is one of the best Ninjutsu specialized shinobi around and I am the top strategist. We're a well-rounded and seasoned team."

"Seasoned, yes," Itachi spoke. "For a well-rounded team, you're short a genjutsu specialist. Preferably a second strong strategist and supplementary user, who has at least rudimentary training as a medic."

"Does this mean you'll let us go?" Aya asked, incredulous.

"I planned for a counter attack in a few days with multiple teams and trackers. However, I suspected the three of you wouldn't be the kind of people to sit and wait," Itachi spoke. "So yes. But on two conditions."

"Which are?" Asuma asked.

"You take one more with you to round out the team. A shinobi of my choosing."

Shikamaru grinned at that. "Who did you have in mind?"

Itachi looked to his right—he could sense her approaching. "A genjutsu specialist, strong strategist and supplementary ninjutsu user, who happens to have rudimentary training as a medic."

From the deep darkness, she appeared. It had been a while since he had seen her in official uniform, but the new styled jounin vest suited her well. Uchiha Mikoto flashed her son a quick smile, before observing the rest of her makeshift team. "Asuma, Aya, Shikamaru," Mikoto said, stepping up. "I'll be the final addition to your team."

Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow, but both Asuma and Aya nodded in approval. It was to be expected, Itachi thought, considering the youngest member of the team. He had been an infant when Mikoto was last active, but the years had not dulled his mother's senses and battle acumen. "And the second condition?" Aya questioned.

"Shikamaru will serve as captain."

That _did_ take them off guard, including Shikamaru, though Itachi didn't miss the smile on Mikoto's face. She always saw right through him. "Hokage-sama, I—" Aya began.

"Agreed," Asuma said, interrupting her. Aya turned to him, eyes blazing, but he kept his eyes on Itachi. "Shikamaru is the keenest strategist and will incorporate Mikoto's skill-set seamlessly… Not to mention the fact that our emotions lead the both of us. I'm angry, but not blind."

Despite the dark, Itachi saw the way Shikamaru looked at Asuma. It reminded him of the way he used to admire Namikaze Minato—the man he idolized had placed his trust and faith in him without a moment's hesitation. "Understood," Shikamaru said, lifting his gaze to meet Itachi.

Itachi nodded and watched as Asuma, Aya and his mother turned from him to walk through the gate. "Shikamaru," he called out. The Nara clansman looked back at him. "Bring them back."

"I will, Hokage-sama."

He kept his eyes on the team until they faded into the dark of night.

"I'll be going to the Yamazato now," Itachi announced, knowing Raidou was listening. "Tell Genma we will need an ANBU detail on Lab B-5. Nothing happens there without my knowing it. At least until Tsunade-san returns."

With another surge of chakra, he teleported himself to the most luxurious ryokan in the village and strode inside, curious to see what the Kazekage would want of him.

* * *

She spotted Sasuke cradling an unconscious Kiba in one alcove near to the office she had encountered Kakashi in. Deeper into the building, she heard signs of fighting and shouting, but she paid them no heed as she knelt down beside Sasuke and checked Kiba for injuries.

"Found him like this in his room," Sasuke muttered. "Just knocked out. Almost as if by—"

"Sharingan," Sakura finished, meeting Sasuke's eyes. "Kakashi is here."

Sasuke let out an annoyed sound.

"I've found the list," Sakura whispered. "And destroyed it before Kakashi got to it. We need to go. He will grab Kuromaru to torture the information out of him. Every second counts now."

"Do you remember the green shrine near the gate of the city? I'll bring Kiba there. Get Obito-sensei and meet us there," Sasuke said, heaving Kiba's arm over his shoulder. Sakura nodded, creeping out of the alcove. She halted, listening for guards, and sprinted up the stairs to the next floor just as she felt Sasuke and Kiba disappearing behind her.

The fourth floor was empty. She waited for a beat and continued to the fifth floor, where she stumbled upon a trail of blood.

It ran from the sixth floor stairs down to the fifth floor and into one room at the end of the hallway, stilling her in her tracks. It was fresh and coated most of the wooden floors, dripping down the steps of the stairs. She took one step into the hall, almost drawn to what was happening behind the closed door. A sudden fear struck her it might be Obito's.

An instant later, a kunai was pressed to her throat.

"Sakura?" Obito said, removing his kunai.

"Sensei… Who's blood is that?"

"Kuromaru's assistant," Obito said, grim. "Sasuke and Kiba?"

"Safe, waiting for us near the city border."

"Did one of you find it?"

"I did," Sakura nodded. "Let's get out of here first."

"Agreed."

They snuck out of the building with relative ease, avoiding the guards with practiced ease, sneaking through the expansive gardens until they reached the walls. Obito kept guard as she climbed over, signaling to him when the coast was clear.

"Did you… see who killed Kuromaru's assistant?" Sakura probed as they walked down the main street together.

Obito gave her a sidelong glance. "No, I only saw him being dragged in by someone in an Akatsuki cloak. But judging by the way you're being extra careful about this, I assume it's Kakashi."

"I had a run-in with him in the office I was searching," Sakura said. Obito's eye widened. "I'm alright. He said… he said he wasn't in the business of killing medics."

A flash of white-hot fury washed over Obito's face as he gritted his teeth. "Did he now?"

That confirmed it—something had happened to Rin, and Kakashi had a hand in it. She nodded slowly. "I found the list, but had to destroy it before Kakashi got his hands on it. That's why the assistant…"

Obito's face softened. "The harsh truth of this world, Sakura. They worked together with a mercenary organization known for its ruthlessness and held back vital information for their own personal gain. I wager this would have been the end for them either way." He paused. "Did you read it?"

"I memorized it; the names, the places and the descriptions of the individuals they're searching for."

A grin broke out on his face. "Excellent," he said, dropping a hand on her head. "I always knew that eidetic memory of yours would be convenient in situations like these."

She couldn't help but blush as he patted her head, feeling like the 12-year-old she was when she first met Obito. "We should hurry to Sasuke and Kiba. If Kakashi gets his hands on the names, we'll have lost our advantage. Plus… I think Kakashi got to Kiba and trapped him in a genjutsu."

Obito nodded, speeding up. They picked their way through the crowd and ended at the gate that would lead them out of the city. Hastening through the shrine gate, Sakura spotted Sasuke and Kiba. "Kiba!" she called, dropping beside him.

He sat on a bench, hunched over as he pushed his hand through his hair. "Sakura… Sensei…" he looked up, bewildered. "I don't even know what happened. I was searching the office when I heard a sound and the next thing I know, Sasuke is waking me up."

"They caught you off-guard, idiot."

Kiba's head snapped up. "What did you just say to me, bastard?"

"Aren't you supposed to sniff threats before they even reach you? What good is that nose if you won't use it?" Sasuke retorted.

"Enough you two," Obito interjected, pushing Kiba back onto the bench as he stood up. "The four of us made it out without injuries. I'll take that as a win, but the four of us will sit down and talk about this once we return to Konoha. The good news is that Sakura found the list and destroyed it before Akatsuki could get to it." He looked toward the city entrance. "The trip back to Konoha would take us days in normal circumstances. I'm going to ask you to keep going throughout the night and take the soldier pills Sakura is carrying."

"Yes, Captain!" the three said in unison.

* * *

They were not even three hours underway when Kiba stopped them. He pinched his brow, scouting the environment with care. "Come out, cowards," Kiba called out, flashing them a look over his shoulder. She halted in place, accumulating chakra to both her hands as she searched the environment.

"Cowards, hmm?" a voice sounded.

Sakura whipped her head up to find a blond man dressed in Akatsuki's colors standing on one of the branches of the surrounding trees. He squatted down, cocking his head as he observed Team Seven. "Get a load of this guy. We're patiently waiting in ambush and he tells us we're cowards? Ain't that right, Suna no Danna?"

"I told you not to call me that," another voice sounded, this one from much closer to them. Gritting her teeth, Sakura turned around. It took her a moment to find the blond man's partner—he stood half-hidden behind a tree, shrouded by darkness if not for his intense red hair. The man stepped from the tree.

He looked to be her age, blood-shot jade eyes rimmed by black. The man wore a tattoo on his forehead that looked as if he carved out of his head rather than had it tattooed, thin lips set in a frown. His cloak was open and billowed in the wind, arms crossed.

"That thing on his back…" Kiba said, drawing her attention to the gourd strapped to him. "It reeks of blood."

The blond chortled. "At last, someone else who smells it… yeah."

"Deidara," the red-haired man warned.

"A red-headed shinobi who wears a slashed forehead protector from Sand and a bomb-expert from Rock, Deidara. You're the duo who attacked Mist," Obito said, scrutinizing Deidara.

"You hear that, Danna? I told you to put on a show in Mist. They don't even know your name," Deidara tutted, grin broadening. He stuck his hand into the pouch strapped to his hip.

"Gaara of the Desert," Gaara said, boredom tingeing his voice.

"Well, now that we are all familiar with one another, what can we do for you?" Obito asked, impatient.

"You came from the west," Deidara said, pointing his chin in the direction they arrived from. "One of our informants lives in a town a few hours away… And we have been told a shinobi cell has stolen valuable information. Seems too much of a coincidence… hmm."

"We're passing through from the Wind country," Obito lied effortlessly. "On our way home. Seeing as there is no official order to apprehend you, I'd like for us to continue on our trip now."

"He's lying!" an excited voice peeped up. Startled, Sakura searched around, finding a third man holed up behind a tree in front of them. From the looks of it, she wasn't the only one who hadn't realized there was a third person. Kiba's nostrils flared, confusion clear on his face as he observed the man standing in the shadows.

"Do you take us for idiots, hmm?" Deidara barked down.

The man jumped out of the shadows, holding up his hands in a pacifying gesture. Unlike the other two, he didn't wear an Akatsuki cloak, only black clothes that covered him from his neck to his toes, and an orange mask.

"Forgive me, Deidara-senpai! Tobi is a good boy!"

* * *

_**A/N:** And that makes three updates in a week! Hope you're all getting through this quarantine okay.   
  
Deidara calls Sasori 'danna' as a form of respect in Naruto. Seeing as I kind of liked him having a nickname, and all the ones for younger boys/men didn't sound as good, I decided to go with 'Suna no Danna' – the Lord of Sand.  
_


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